Your Spanish book will most likely tell you the verb Llevar means to take, and it does. But the verb Llevar has several uses that your Spanish book might have left out. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
1. To talk about what you’re wearing
No llevo gorras
I don’t wear ballcaps
Ella decidió llevar la blusa roja
She decided to wear the red blouse
2. To talk about how much time has passed
Llevo 3 años viviendo aquí
I’ve been living here for 3 years
Lleva tres días sin dormir
He hasn’t slept in three days
Llevan esperando aquí dos horas
They’ve been waiting here two hours
Te llevo mucho tiempo esperando
I’ve been waiting a long time for you
3. To ask for (and give) a ride
Llévame al aeropuerto
Take me to the airport
Pedro nos llevó al supermercado
Pedro took us to the supermarket
¿Me llevas al banco?
Will you take me to the bank?
4. Food related uses
Dos hamburguesas para llevar por favor
Two hamburgers to go please
¿Que lleva el taco?
What does the taco have on it
El pastel lleva huevos, aceite, pasas, miel y harina
The cake has eggs, oil, raisins, honey and flour
5. To talk about what you’re carrying around with you
No llevo mis llaves
I don’t have my keys
¿Llevas el pasaporte encima?
Do you have your passport on you?
No llevo dinero encima
I don’t have any money on me
6. To talk about how people get along
Technically, you need to use Llevarse, Llevar’s reflexive cousin. The expression is Llevarse bien con alguien. Or Llevarse mal con alguien, if you don’t get along with them.
Nos llevamos bien
We get along well
No se lleva bien con su madre
He doesn’t get along well with his mother
Me llevo mal con mi suegra
I don’t get along with my mother-in-law
Mis hijos se llevan como el perro y el gato
My kids fight like cats and dogs
Well, that should certainly be more than enough information to get you started with the verb Llevar. And if you’re surprised that llevar has so many uses, then you’ll also be surprised to hear that there are at least 11 uses of llevar.
In fact, most of the basic Spanish verbs have multiple meanings that are often not discussed in the classroom and textbooks, and that’s why I created my All About Spanish Verbs audio series.
All About Spanish Verbs is a collection of audio lessons that fills the gap between the classroom and real world conversation.
You’ll learn many ways native speakers actually use Spanish verbs in daily conversation. No complicated grammar, just practical examples that teach you the common uses of the most common Spanish verbs.
It improves your comprehension of the language and your ability to communicate by expanding on the uses of the verbs you already know, and teaching verbs you may not have known you needed.
Comments 3
Hello! I am very happy to have found your blog. I'm brushing up on my Spanish and you give some great examples here about llevar. In your example, "Te lleva mucho tiempo esperando", would it not be "llevo"?
Yes Maureen, you are correct. Thanks for pointing out the typo!
very useful blog,thanks.