Learn Spanish (Latin America): Me lo dijo y me quedé mudo. - He told it to me and I was left speechless.

The verb quedarse is used for sudden changes that leave you in a new state, often as a reaction to an event. While estaba mudo just describes a past condition, me quedé mudo highlights the transition: you became or were left speechless because of what the person said.

Could I use me puse instead of me quedé to say 'I got speechless'?

Not naturally in this context. Ponerse is used for temporary emotional or physical changes, like me puse triste (I got sad). Quedarse is specifically used when a situation leaves you in a state of loss or incapacity, such as being left speechless, deaf, or alone.

Why do we need both me and lo in me lo dijo?

Me means 'to me' and lo means 'it'. English speakers often just say 'He told me,' leaving 'it' out. In Spanish, however, when you are referring to a specific thing that was said (like a secret or some news), it is standard to include lo to represent the information.

Would a female speaker say this sentence exactly the same way?