Question 1

Why do we use se quedó to mean 'ended up' or 'became' here instead of se volvió or se hizo?

Accepted Answer

Quedarse is specifically used to express a resulting state after an event, often focusing on what a person is left with (or without). It is very common for losses, such as going blind, bald, or in this case, poor (se quedó pobre). By contrast, hacerse usually implies a deliberate effort (like becoming a doctor), while volverse suggests a deep, often permanent personality change.

Question 2

Does quedarse always mean a change of state like 'ended up'?

Accepted Answer

No, its literal and most basic meaning is 'to stay' or 'to remain' (for example, se quedó en casa, meaning 'he stayed at home'). However, when you pair it with an adjective describing a condition like pobre, it transforms into a verb of change.

Question 3

What happens if I drop the se and just say quedó pobre?

Accepted Answer

To express a change of state, you must use the pronominal form quedarse, which requires the pronoun se. If you drop the se, the base verb quedar usually means 'to be located' or 'to have left over', which wouldn't make sense in this sentence.

Question 4

Can I use rápidamente instead of rápido here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can! Rápidamente strictly means 'quickly', but in everyday spoken Spanish, the word rápido is very often used as an adverb to mean 'fast' or 'quickly'. Both are perfectly correct and natural here.

Ese hombre se quedó pobre muy rápido.

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