Example: Si no estudias, tu esfuerzo se quedará en nada.
Definition
"Quedarse en nada" means to end up with nothing or to result in no gain or success, often after an effort or expectation. It implies that all efforts or hopes have ultimately failed or come to zero value.
Translations
to come to nothing
op niets uitlopen
quedar en no res
aboutir à rien
im Sande verlaufen
Etymology
The phrase "quedarse en nada" comes from the Spanish verb "quedarse" meaning 'to stay' or 'to remain,' combined with "nada" meaning 'nothing.' It figuratively expresses the idea of something remaining as nothing after an effort, emphasizing failure or loss.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Quedarse en nada" appears in the Vocaplus list "Spanish - General - Modismos y refranes - (C1) - parte 1", containing 120 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Spanish as the language you want to learn.
to come to nothing