Question 1

Why use quedarse here instead of hacerse or volverse to mean "became"?

Accepted Answer

We use quedarse for changes of state that are the result of an event or process, often implying a loss or a physical aftermath. Becoming a widower (viudo), blind (ciego), or bald (calvo) all use quedarse because they describe the state someone is left in. Hacerse is for voluntary changes, like a profession, and volverse is for involuntary, deep personality changes.

Question 2

Why isn't there an article before viudo? In English we say "became a widower".

Accepted Answer

Just like with professions, Spanish omits the indefinite article (un or una) after verbs of state when referring to unmodified categories like marital status. Saying se quedó un viudo sounds unnatural unless you add a descriptive adjective, like se quedó un viudo muy solitario meaning he became a very lonely widower.

Question 3

Could I use ser or estar to describe him as a widower instead of focusing on the change?

Accepted Answer

Yes! If you want to state his marital status rather than the event of becoming one, you can use either. Es viudo treats it as a permanent defining characteristic. Está viudo treats it as his current civil state, contrasting it with when he was married. To focus on the transition itself, though, you must use quedarse.

Question 4

Does quedarse always imply a negative change or a loss?

Accepted Answer

Very often, yes. It is strongly associated with deficits or losing a prior state, like quedarse sordo for going deaf or quedarse sin dinero for running out of money. However, it is also used for neutral or positive resulting states, such as quedarse dormido for falling asleep or quedarse asombrado for being left astonished.

Mi abuelo se quedó viudo el año pasado.

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