Course sections

This section introduces several new verbs, including llevar and usar, meaning to wear. However, you have already seen the verb used in various contexts. In this lesson, you will learn the majority of meanings, and learn how to identify each one in context.

Actividad 1: Understanding Llevar

Click the audio and follow along as you click the boxes and take notes regarding the many meanings of llevar. Be prepared to create sentences with llevar.

Feel free to pause the audio in order to take notes.

Llevar: Overview

Llevar has quite a few uses. Depending on the context of each situation, listeners might have to discern which is the appropriate meaning. In general, llevar refers to carrying, taking out, and taking away.

In this lesson you will learn a few new uses and idiomatic expressions for llevar. These common expressions can be useful in everyday speech.

This verb is different from tomar, which normally refers to something you take in.

1. to carry out, take away

You have seen this verb used to discuss take-out food, or food to go.

¿Es para aquí o para llevar?–Is it for here or to go?

Llevar can also be used at the end of a business transaction to say you would like to take something or buy it.

¿Te gustan estos anteojos de sol?/Do you like these sunglasses?
Sí, (yo) los quiero llevar./Yes, I want (to take) them.

2. to get along with

Nos llevamos bien./We get along well.
¿Llevas bien con Lorena?/Do you get along with Lorena?
Sí, llevo bien con ella./Yes, I get along well with her.

3. to express how much time one has been doing something

¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aquí?/How much time have you been here?
Llevo diez años viviendo aquí./I have been living here for 10 years.
¿Cuánto tiempo lleva ella etudiando el japonés?/How long has she been studying Japanese?

As you can see, llevar can be used with an amount of time to tell how long you have been doing something. In this context llevar can mean have/has been.

4. to take in the car, taxi, to drive someone somewhere

¿Me puede llevar al pueblo en taxi?/Can you take me to town in taxi?
Sí, te llevo./Yes, I (will) take you.
El taxista Dennis va a llevarme al pueblo./The taxi driver Dennis is going to take me to town.
Mis padres no me llevan al colegio, camino todos los días./My parents do not bring/take me to school, I walk.

5. to carry, to bring

Estoy en el super(mercado). ¿Te puedo llevar algo?/I am in the supermarket. Can I bring you something?
¡Sí! ¿Puedes llevarme un chocolate?/Yes, can you bring me a chocolate?

6. to wear

As you can see, llevar also means to wear an item of clothing.

Llevo uniforme en el trabajo y en el colegio./I wear a uniform at work and at school.
¿Cuál vestido vas a llevar a la fiesta?/Which dress are you going to wear to the party?
Se lleva muchos vestidos de colores vivos en el Caribe./They wear many colorful dresses in the Caribbean.

Llevar is also a synonym of usar, another new verb introduced in this section.

Conjugation of Llevar

Llevar - to carry, take, wear, drive

	singular		plural
1st persons	yo	llevo	nosotros nosotras	llevamos
2nd persons	tú	llevas	vosotros vosotras	lleváis
	usted	lleva	ustedes	llevan
3rd persons	él ella	lleva	ellos ellas	llevan

Práctica 8.09

Práctica 8.10

Práctica 8.11

¿Te Acuerdas?

Do you remember the correct pronunciation for the ll?

This combination of letters always makes the sound of the j in the word ‘jewelry’, or much like a smoother English y sound. What’s the difference? Pronunciation depends on region, dialect, and the letters surrounding the ll. This allowance for a little variation should make the language easier to pronounce within context, so aim to make the first sound presented here, but when it becomes more difficult within the context of the sentence, the /y/ sound is considered acceptable, especially in coastal regions.

Many of the common verbs you already know contain this letter combination.

llegar–to arrive, get there

llevar–to wear, to carry, among other meanings

llamar–to call