Using the Spanish Verb Llevar

The Spanish verb llevar used to mean primarily to carry a heavy burden. However, it has become one of the most flexible verbs in the language, used not only in discussing what a person carries, but also what a person wears, has, does, tolerates, or moves. As a result, it isnt easy to tell what llevar means out of context. Llevar is conjugated regularly. Using Llevar for ‘To Wear’ One of the most common uses of llevar is as the equivalent of to wear clothing or accessories. It can also refer to wearing or sporting a type of style, such as tattoos or a type of hairdo. Normally, if a person is wearing a type of item of which he or she would wear or use only one at a time, the indefinite article (un or una, the equivalent of a or an) is not used. Often the definite article (el or la (the equivalent of the) can be used instead. In other words, Spanish doesnt say the equivalent of I am wearing a dress but often I am wearing the dress. If the identity of the item is important, such as if the sentence identifies the items color, an indefinite article is retained. No es necesario llevar el sombrero. (It isnt necessary to wear your hat.)Ha decidido llevar la barba. (He has decided to sport a beard.)No olvides taparte el cuello y lleva camisa de manga larga. (Dont forget to cover up your neck and wear a long-sleeved shirt.)No sabemos cà ³mo vamos a llevar el pelo. (We dont know how we are going to wear our hair.)Mi amiga no llevà ³ la cara pintada. (My friend wasnt wearing face paint.) Using Llevar for ‘To Carry’ Another common use for llevar is to indicate that someone or something is being carried or transported. It can be used for carrying by people as well as by machines. No puedo llevar nada mà ¡s. (I cant carry anything else.)El avià ³n lleva como mà ¡ximo 178 pasajeros. (The plane carries a maximum of 178 passages.)Llevaron a sus hijos a un concierto en el parque. (They took their children to a concert in the park.)Los buses llevaron a los invitados al hotel. (The buses took the invitees to the hotel.)El camià ³n lleva siete grandes tanques de hidrà ³geno. (The truck carries seven large tanks of hydrogen.)Quiero llevar la voz del radicalismo a todos los barrios. (I want to take the voice of radicalism to all the neighborhoods.) Other Uses for Llevar Here are examples of llevar in use with meanings other than to wear or to carry, along with possible translations. As can be seen, llevar is a versatile verb that frequently involves having or managing something in a broad sense of the terms. llevar (algo)—to tolerate, cope or deal with (something): (Lleva muy bien las derrotas.  (He puts up with defeat very well.)llevar (algo or a alguien)—to transport (something or someone): Pedro nos llevà ³ al aeropuerto.  (Pedro took us to the airport.)llevar (ingrediente)—to have or include (an ingredient): A mi madre le gusta todo lo que lleva chocolate. (My mother likes anything with chocolate in it.)llevar (un vehà ­culo)—to drive (a vehicle): Llevà ³ el coche a Madrid. (She drove the car to Madrid.)llevar (una organizacià ³n o una empresa)—to direct, run or lead (an organization or business): Ingrid lleva la tienda de artesanà ­a. (Ingrid runs the artists store.)llevar (un nombre)—to bear (a name): Una calle de Candelaria lleva el nombre de Josà © Rodrà ­guez Ramà ­rez. (A Candelaria street bears the name of Josà © Rodrà ­guez Ramà ­rez.)llevar (tiempo)—to last (time): Llevo meses diciendo que hay metodologias alter nativas. (Ive been saying for months there are other ways.) Llevo tres dà ­as sin dormir. (Ive gone three days without sleeping.)llevar (dinero)—to charge (money): El revendedor me llevà ³ mucho dinero por los boletos. (The scalper charged me a lot of money for the tickets.) Using Llevarse Llevarse, the reflexive form of llevar, also has a variety of meanings: llevarse—to get along with or be suitable for: Nos llevamos bien. (We get along well together.) No se lleva bien con su madre. (He doesnt get along well with his mother.) Este aà ±o se lleva bien los pantalones cortos. (Short pants are in style this year.)llevarse (algo)—to take (something): Llà ©vatelo. (Take it with you.) Quisiera llevarme la flor. (Id like to take the flower with me.)llevarse (algo)—to receive or win (something): Se llevà ³ el premio Nobel. (She won the Nobel Prize.) Idioms Using Llevar Here are examples of idiomatic phrases using llevar: dejarse llevar—to be carried along, to go with the flow: Optà © por lo que sentà  en el momento y me dejà © llevar por la incertidumbre. (I chose according to what I felt at the moment and let myself be carried along with the uncertainty.)llevar a (algo)—to lead to (something): La mediacià ³n papal llevà ³ a la paz entre Argentina y Chile. (The popes mediation led to peace between Argentina and Chile.) Me llevà ³ a creer que es inteligente. (She led me to believe she is intelligent.)llevar a cabo—to accomplish, to perform: Alrededor de 400 personas llevaron a cabo la Marcha por La Dignidad. (About 400 people demonstrated in the March for Dignity.)llevar a cenar—to take out to dinner: Lo mejor es que nos llevà ³ a cenar en la ciudad vieja. (The best thing is that she took us to dinner in the old city.)llevar cuenta—to keep account;  ¿Quià ©n lleva cuenta del resultado? (Whos keeping track of the score?)llevar encima—to have on ones person: En ese momento me di cuenta de que no llevaba dinero encima. (At that moment I realized that I didnt have any money on me.)para llevar—to go (as in takeout food) — Quisiera dos hamburguesas para llevar. (Id like two hamburgers to go.) Key Takeaways The Spanish verb llevar is commonly in referring to what a person is wearing.Llevar is also commonly used as meaning to carry or transport.Llevar has a wide range of other meanings that have more than a dozen English equivalents.