Question 1

Why is mejor dicho used here instead of just saying o (or)?

Accepted Answer

Mejor dicho translates to "or rather" or "better said." It is a reformulation marker used to correct, refine, or clarify the previous word (callado). Using just o would imply a choice between two distinct possibilities, whereas mejor dicho shows the speaker adjusting their own description on the fly to make it more accurate.

Question 2

Could I use más bien instead of mejor dicho in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they are very similar here! Both are used to clarify or correct a statement. Mejor dicho feels a bit more like a direct self-correction ("actually, it is more accurate to say..."), while más bien often softens a statement or introduces a contrast ("he wasn't just quiet, he was rather distant"). For this kind of mid-sentence adjustment, they are essentially interchangeable.

Question 3

Why use the reflexive se quedó instead of just estuvo?

Accepted Answer

Quedarse is used here to express a change of state or a resulting condition. Él se quedó callado implies a reaction—he became or remained quiet, likely in response to something that was just said or done. Estuvo callado would simply describe a past state ("he was quiet") without that dynamic sense of a reaction.

Question 4

How would the adjectives change if the subject was ellas (they, feminine)?

Accepted Answer

The sentence would become: Ellas se quedaron calladas, mejor dicho, distantes. Notice that callado changes to match the feminine plural subject (calladas). However, adjectives ending in -e like distante do not have masculine or feminine forms; they are gender-neutral, so they only change to reflect the plural number (distantes).

Él se quedó callado, mejor dicho, distante.

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