Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Este pantalón me queda muy apretado hoy.

Even though English uses the plural pants for one item, Spanish is fine with the singular pantalón to mean a single garment that covers both legs. Both singular and plural are possible, depending on what you want to say.

Can I also say Estos pantalones me quedan muy apretados hoy? Is there any difference?

Yes, that is also correct:

Este pantalón me queda muy apretado hoy.
Estos pantalones me quedan muy apretados hoy.

Differences:

Este pantalón: focusing on one pair of pants.
Estos pantalones: could be:
- also one pair (just said in plural), or
- several pairs of pants in general (from context).

Many speakers use both forms in everyday speech. Grammatically, both are fine; the verb and adjective simply need to agree:

Singular: pantalón – me queda – apretado
Plural: pantalones – me quedan – apretados

How does quedar work in this sentence? Why not just use ser or estar?

Here quedar means “to fit (someone)” in the sense of size or how clothing looks on someone.

Structure:

[Clothing] + indirect object pronoun + quedar
- Este pantalón me queda muy apretado.
  - Literally: This pant remains to me very tight → These pants fit me very tight.

You could use estar:

Este pantalón está muy apretado.
- Focuses more on the state of the pants (they are tight).

But quedar emphasizes the relationship between the clothes and the person (how they fit you). You would not normally use ser here.

Why is it me queda and not queda me or yo quedo?

Because me is an indirect object pronoun, not the subject.

The subject of queda is este pantalón (the pants).
me tells us to whom the pants “fit”.

Word order with a conjugated verb:

Pronoun usually comes before the verb:
- me queda, te queda, le queda, etc.
- queda me is incorrect in standard speech.

You also don’t say yo quedo for this idea. Quedar with the person as the subject means something else (like I stay / I remain). For clothes fitting you, Spanish prefers:

La ropa me queda bien/mal/apretada/grande, etc.

Could I say Este pantalón está muy apretado instead of me queda muy apretado?

Yes, you can, and it’s grammatically correct. The nuance is slightly different:

Este pantalón está muy apretado.
- Describes the state of the pants: they are tight (in general or right now).
Este pantalón me queda muy apretado.
- Emphasizes how they fit on you. It’s more about the fit on your body.

In real conversation, both can be used. Me queda… is more personal and is the most typical way to talk about fit.

What does apretado literally mean, and can it have other meanings?

Literally, apretado means tight or squeezed.

Common uses:

Clothes:
- El pantalón está apretado. – The pants are tight.
Space:
- El lugar está muy apretado. – The place is very cramped.
Money/time (informal):
- Estoy apretado de dinero. – I’m tight on money.
- Ando apretado de tiempo. – I’m short on time.

In the sentence you gave, it clearly refers to clothes fitting too tightly.

Why is it muy apretado and not mucho apretado?

Because:

muy modifies adjectives and adverbs (very tight, very big, very fast).
mucho is normally used with nouns (a lot of money, a lot of time) or as an adverb on its own (it rains a lot).

Here, apretado is an adjective, so you need muy:

muy apretado = very tight
Not:
mucho apretado ❌

Does apretado have to agree with pantalón?

Yes. Apretado is an adjective, so it must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes.

Examples:

Este pantalón me queda muy apretado.
- pantalón: masculine singular → apretado
Esta falda me queda muy apretada.
- falda: feminine singular → apretada
Estos pantalones me quedan muy apretados.
- pantalones: masculine plural → apretados
Estas blusas me quedan muy apretadas.
- blusas: feminine plural → apretadas

Where can hoy go in the sentence? Is the position flexible?

Yes, hoy (today) is flexible. All are possible and natural:

Hoy este pantalón me queda muy apretado.
Este pantalón hoy me queda muy apretado.
Este pantalón me queda muy apretado hoy. ← very common

The meaning doesn’t really change; it just shifts the emphasis a bit. At the start, hoy may feel a bit more emphasized (today, specifically, this happens).

Is este the only demonstrative I can use here? When would I use ese pantalón or aquel pantalón?

You can also use ese and aquel; they indicate different degrees of distance (physical or mental):

este pantalón – this pair of pants (right here, very close to me)
ese pantalón – that pair of pants (closer to you, or a bit farther away)
aquel pantalón – that pair of pants over there (far from both of us)

All work with the same structure:

Ese pantalón me queda muy apretado hoy.
Aquel pantalón me queda muy apretado hoy.

The grammar stays the same; only the perceived distance changes.

How would this sentence change if I were talking about a shirt or shoes?

You keep the same structure and adjust gender/number:

Shirt (camisa, feminine singular):
- Esta camisa me queda muy apretada hoy.
Dress (vestido, masculine singular):
- Este vestido me queda muy apretado hoy.
Shoes (zapatos, masculine plural):
- Estos zapatos me quedan muy apretados.
Skirt (falda, feminine singular):
- Esta falda me queda muy apretada.

Notice how este/esta/estos/estas, the verb (queda/quedan), and the adjective (apretado/apretada/apretados/apretadas) all agree with the clothing item.

How would I say “They fit me well” or “They don’t fit me” using the same structure?

Use quedar the same way, but change the adjective or add bien/mal:

Me quedan bien. – They fit me well.
No me quedan bien. – They don’t fit me well.
No me quedan. – They don’t fit me (too big, too small, etc.).
Me quedan grandes. – They’re too big on me.
Me quedan pequeños/pequeñas. – They’re too small on me.

For a singular item:

Me queda bien. – It fits me well.
No me queda. – It doesn’t fit me.