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Mi abuela se quedó ciega el año pasado.

Mi abuela se quedó ciega el año pasado.
My grandmother went blind last year.
From Lesson 219:Resulting states (quedarse)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mi abuela se quedó ciega el año pasado.

Why do we use se quedó here instead of another verb of change like se puso?
Quedarse is used for a change of state that is the result of an event or process, often implying a loss, a physical defect, or a lasting consequence (like going blind, deaf, or bald). Se puso is generally used for temporary physical or emotional changes, like getting nervous or turning red.
Could I translate "went blind" using the verb ir (to go)?
No, Spanish does not use ir for changes in physical state. If you literally translated it as fue ciega, it would mean "she was blind" (using the past tense of ser for a characteristic), totally missing the idea of the change itself. To express the transition into a new state, you must use a verb of change like quedarse.
Why is ciega feminine here, and does it always change to match the subject?
Yes! Even though it comes right after the verb quedarse, ciega is an adjective describing the subject (mi abuela). Therefore, it must agree in gender and number. If the subject were your grandfather, it would be mi abuelo se quedó ciego.
Why use the preterite tense (se quedó) instead of the imperfect (se quedaba)?
The time marker el año pasado (last year) gives us a specific, completed timeframe. We use the preterite because the change (going blind) is viewed as a definitive, completed event in the past, rather than an ongoing, repeated, or background action.

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