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Ellas se quedaron en la oficina porque su jefa quería reunirse más tarde.

Ellas se quedaron en la oficina porque su jefa quería reunirse más tarde.
They stayed at the office because their boss wanted to meet later.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of Ellas se quedaron en la oficina porque su jefa quería reunirse más tarde.

querer
to want
en
at
porque
because
quedarse
to stay
su
their
ellas
they
la oficina
the office
la jefa
the boss
reunirse
to meet
más tarde
later

Questions & Answers about Ellas se quedaron en la oficina porque su jefa quería reunirse más tarde.

What does the “se” in se quedaron do? Could I just say Ellas quedaron en la oficina?
The pronoun se is needed because quedarse means “to stay/remain.” Without it, quedar often means “to arrange to meet,” “to be left/remaining,” or “to end up.” In Spain, Ellas quedaron en la oficina is likely understood as “They arranged to meet at the office,” not “They stayed at the office.” So use se quedaron to express staying put.
Why is quería in the imperfect, not quiso?
The imperfect quería presents an ongoing/background intention and is the standard choice to give a reason: it describes what the boss wanted at that time. The preterite quiso is more punctual or result‑focused (“decided/tried”), and as a motive in a porque‑clause it can sound less natural or change the nuance: “because her boss decided (on that occasion) to meet later.” Negative note: no quiso means “refused.”
Does porque take the indicative or the subjunctive here?
Indicative. Porque introduces a real, known cause, so quería (indicative) is correct. Use the subjunctive after no porque to deny a reason (e.g., “Se quedaron, no porque su jefa quisiera, sino porque…”).
Can I move the pronoun in quería reunirse and say se quería reunir?

Yes. With a conjugated verb + infinitive, the pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or attach to the infinitive:

  • su jefa quería reunirse
  • su jefa se quería reunir Both are equally correct.
Does su jefa mean “their boss,” “her boss,” or “your (formal) boss”?

Su is ambiguous; context decides. With ellas as the subject, it most likely means “their (female) boss,” but it could be “her boss” or “your (usted) boss.” To disambiguate:

  • “their boss”: la jefa de ellas
  • “her boss”: la jefa de ella
  • “your boss (usted): context or su jefa (de usted)
Is reunirse truly reflexive—does it mean “meet herself”?
No. Reunirse is pronominal; the se doesn’t add a literal “self.” Reunirse means “to meet/gather.” When you specify with whom, use reunirse con: e.g., quería reunirse con ellas.
Do I need to add con here—should it be quería reunirse con ellas?
Only if you want to be explicit. …quería reunirse más tarde already implies “with them” from context. Add con ellas to make it crystal clear or to avoid ambiguity.
Why is it en la oficina and not just en oficina?
Spanish typically uses the definite article with places: en la oficina, en el banco, etc. Some set phrases drop the article (en casa, en clase, en misa, en prisión), but oficina isn’t one of them in everyday speech. So en la oficina is the natural phrasing.
Can I drop the subject pronoun Ellas?
Yes. Spanish is pro‑drop: Se quedaron en la oficina… is fine. You include Ellas to emphasize or clarify that the subject is a group of women; the verb itself doesn’t show gender.
What’s the difference between quedarse, quedar, and quedar con?
  • quedarse: to stay/remain. Example: Nos quedamos en casa.
  • quedar: among other meanings, “to arrange to meet” or “to be left/remaining.” Example: Quedamos en la plaza. / Quedan dos entradas.
  • quedar con + alguien: to arrange to meet someone. Example: He quedado con Marta. In your sentence, quedarse is needed to mean “stayed.”
Could se quedaron also mean “they were left (behind)”?
It can, depending on context. Quedarse often means “to be left” as a result of something (Se quedaron sin batería). Here, with a location and a reason, se quedaron en la oficina reads as a deliberate choice to stay.
Is there a more explicit way to say “their boss wanted them to meet later”?

Yes: use a subordinate clause with the past subjunctive after querer que:

Could I say …quería una reunión más tarde instead of …quería reunirse más tarde?
Yes. …quería una reunión más tarde is natural and slightly more formal/noun‑based. …quería reunirse más tarde is verb‑based. Both are fine; choose based on style or emphasis.
Are there alternatives to porque like ya que or como?

Yes:

  • Como at the start: Como su jefa quería reunirse más tarde, (ellas) se quedaron…
  • Ya que (more explanatory): (Ellas) se quedaron… ya que su jefa quería…
  • Puesto que (formal): …puesto que su jefa… All work here with minor register/position differences.
Why is porque one word? How is it different from por qué, porqué, and por que?
  • porque = because (used here).
  • por qué = why (questions).
  • porqué = the reason (a noun: el porqué).
  • por que = “for which/that” (more formal/rare; two separate words).
Does más tarde mean later the same day? Could I use luego or después?

Más tarde means “later” relative to the context (often later that day, but not necessarily). Alternatives:

  • después = afterwards/then; neutral.
  • luego (in Spain) often means “later (today)” in informal speech; in narratives it can mean “then.” All fit here; más tarde is clear and slightly more specific than plain después.
What changes if the boss is male or if the group isn’t all women?
  • Male boss: su jefe.
  • Mixed/men group: Ellos se quedaron… (not Ellas). Verb forms stay the same; Spanish verbs don’t mark gender.
Why not se quedaban? How do I choose between preterite and imperfect in the first clause?
Se quedaron (preterite) presents a completed action (“they stayed [on that occasion]”). Se quedaban (imperfect) would describe a habitual/background action (“they used to stay” or “they were staying” when something else happened). Here, a one‑time decision fits the preterite.
Could I use the present perfect and say se han quedado?
Yes, depending on timing and variety of Spanish. In Spain, se han quedado is common if the action is within “today” or still relevant now. In much of Latin America, speakers prefer the preterite se quedaron even for “today.”
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