If you’re learning Spanish, you’ve probably come across the verb «llevar» more than once. It’s one of those incredibly useful verbs that can mean many different things depending on the context.
In this post, I’ll break down the most common uses of «llevar», explain what they mean, and give you clear examples so you can feel confident using this verb in your conversations.

 

To Carry or To Take (Physically Transport Something)

This is probably the most basic meaning of «llevar»: to carry or take something or someone from one place to another.

Examples:

– ¿Llevas tú las bolsas del supermercado? (Are you carrying the grocery bags?)
– Mi padre me lleva al trabajo en coche. (My dad takes me to work by car.)
– Siempre llevo una botella de agua en mi mochila. (I always carry a water bottle in my backpack.)

 

To Wear (Clothes, Accessories, Hair Style)

In Spanish, you can use «llevar» to talk about what someone is wearing.

Examples:

– Ella lleva un vestido rojo. (She is wearing a red dress)
– ¿Qué llevas puesto hoy? (What are you wearing today?)
– Él lleva barba y gafas. (He has a beard and glasses)

 

To Lead or To Be in Charge Of

You can use «llevar» to say someone is managing or in charge of something.

Examples:
–  Ella lleva la contabilidad de la empresa. (She handles the accounting for the company).
– ¿Quién lleva el proyecto? (Who is leading the project?).

 

To Have Been Doing Something for a Period of Time

When talking about how long something has been happening, «llevar» + a time expression is often used.

Structure:
Llevar + time expression + gerund (verb in -ando/-iendo).

Examples:
– Llevo tres años estudiando español. (I’ve been studying Spanish for three years)
– ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas viviendo aquí? (How long have you been living here?)
– Llevamos todo el día trabajando. (We’ve been working all day)

 

To Get Along With Someone (Used with “bien” or “mal”)

With people, «llevarse bien/mal con alguien» means to get along or not get along with someone.

Examples:
– Me llevo bien con mis compañeros de trabajo. (I get along well with my coworkers)
– Ellos se llevan mal desde hace años. (They haven’t gotten along for years)

 

To Take Away / To Take With You (Food, Objects)

This is commonly used when talking about ordering take-out food or taking something with you.

Examples:

– ¿Quieres comer aquí o llevarlo? (Do you want to eat here or take it to go?)
– Voy a llevarme estos libros a casa. (I’m going to take these books home with me)

 

To Be Ahead / To Have a Difference in Age, Distance, or Time

«Llevar» can express a difference between two people or things.

Examples:
– Mi hermana me lleva cinco años. (My sister is five years older than me.)
– El coche rojo le lleva ventaja al azul. (The red car is ahead of the blue one.)
– Llevamos media hora de retraso. (We’re running half an hour late.)

 

To Include or Contain Something in Documents, Products, Recipes, etc.

«Llevar» is also used when talking about something that must be included or present in a document, product, or recipe.

Examples:

– El documento debe llevar tu firma. (The document must bear/have your signature)

– Esta receta lleva azúcar, no la olvides. (This recipe contains sugar, don’t forget it)

– Todos los contratos llevan una cláusula de confidencialidad. (All the contracts include a confidentiality clause)

 

 

To Express Completed Amounts of an Ongoing Action (Llevar + Past Participle)

In Spanish, «llevar» can be combined with a past participle to express how much of something you have already completed. It emphasizes progress or accumulated effort up to the moment of speaking.

Structure:
Llevar + past participle (agrees in gender and number with the object).

 

Examples:

– Llevo leídas cinco páginas del libro. (I have read five pages of the book)

– Llevamos vistas tres películas este fin de semana. (We’ve watched three movies this weekend)

– Llevo escritas tres cartas esta mañana. (I’ve written three letters this morning)

 

In this structure, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the object (not with the subject), which is different from English. It’s especially useful when talking about tasks or measurable progress.

 

As you can see, «llevar» is a super versatile verb in Spanish. It doesn’t translate exactly to just one word in English—its meaning changes depending on the context. When in doubt, try to understand the full sentence instead of translating word for word.