Me quedo en casa mientras llueve.

I stay at home while it rains.

Breakdown of Me quedo en casa mientras llueve.

• yo: I
• en: in
• la casa: the house
• llover: to rain
• mientras: while
• quedarse: to stay

Questions & Answers about Me quedo en casa mientras llueve.

Why is me quedo reflexive here?

In Spanish, quedarse often means "to stay (somewhere)" and it’s reflexive when talking about remaining in a place. The me indicates that the action of staying is directed toward oneself, emphasizing that "I’m staying (and not going anywhere)."

Can we use a different verb instead of quedar?

Yes, you can say permanezco en casa or me quedo en casa, both convey "I remain at home." However, me quedo is more common and colloquial in everyday Spanish.

Why do we say mientras llueve in the present tense?

In Spanish, the present tense in a time clause like mientras llueve can describe an ongoing or imminent situation. It means "while it’s raining (or is going to rain)," implying that whenever rain is occurring, you stay at home.

Could we say mientras está lloviendo instead?

Yes, mientras está lloviendo is also acceptable. It stresses the continuous nature of the rain, but mientras llueve is simpler and just as correct. Both are understood in everyday speech.

Why en casa instead of a casa or en la casa?

Using en casa is a common idiomatic way of saying "at home" in Spanish. The article la can be dropped before casa when you’re referring to your own or someone’s home. Saying en la casa is still correct, but it often feels more specific, like referring to a particular house rather than the general idea of being at home.