lee
“lee” means “he reads” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
he reads, she reads, you read
Also: it reads, he/she interprets
📝 In Action
Mi hermano lee un libro de ciencia ficción.
A1My brother reads a science fiction book.
Ella lee sus correos electrónicos cada mañana.
A1She reads her emails every morning.
El letrero lee 'Cerrado'.
A2The sign reads 'Closed'.
¿Usted lee antes de dormir?
A2Do you (formal) read before sleeping?
read!
📝 In Action
¡Lee las instrucciones con cuidado!
A2Read the instructions carefully!
Por favor, lee este mensaje y dime qué piensas.
A2Please, read this message and tell me what you think.
Lee el primer capítulo para mañana.
B1Read the first chapter for tomorrow.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: lee
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'lee' as a command?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'legere', which meant 'to gather, choose, or read'. You can see the family connection in English words like 'legible' (easy to read) and 'legend' (a story that was originally read aloud).
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'lee' have two 'e's?
Great question! It comes from the verb 'leer' (to read). The 'stem' or base part of the verb is 'le-'. To say 'he/she reads', you add the ending '-e' for -er verbs. So, you get 'le' + 'e', which becomes 'lee'. The same thing happens with the verb 'creer' (to believe), which becomes 'cree'.
How do I know if 'lee' means 'he reads' or is a command?
Context is everything! If it's a statement describing what someone is doing ('Él lee un libro'), it's the first meaning. If someone is telling you to do something, often with exclamation points or words like 'por favor', it's a command ('¡Lee esto!').