Inklingo

lees

lehs/le.es/

lees means you read in Spanish (informal singular present tense).

you read

Also: are reading
VerbA1irregular (due to spelling changes in other forms) er
Spain
A high quality storybook illustration of a young person sitting comfortably and deeply absorbed in reading an open book.
gerundleyendo
infinitiveleer
past Participleleído

📝 In Action

¿Qué lees en tu tiempo libre?

A1

What do you read in your free time?

Si lees este libro, entenderás la historia.

A2

If you read this book, you will understand the story.

Parece que lees la mente, porque justo iba a preguntar eso.

B1

It seems like you read minds, because I was just about to ask that.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • consultas (you consult)
  • estudias (you study)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • lees la prensayou read the press/newspaper
  • lees un mensajeyou read a message

Idioms & Expressions

  • lees entre líneasyou understand the hidden meaning

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

yoleyera
él/ella/ustedleyera
leyeras
vosotrosleyerais
nosotrosleyéramos
ellos/ellas/ustedesleyeran

present

yolea
él/ella/ustedlea
leas
vosotrosleáis
nosotrosleamos
ellos/ellas/ustedeslean

indicative

imperfect

yoleía
él/ella/ustedleía
leías
vosotrosleíais
nosotrosleíamos
ellos/ellas/ustedesleían

present

yoleo
él/ella/ustedlee
lees
vosotrosleéis
nosotrosleemos
ellos/ellas/ustedesleen

preterite

yoleí
él/ella/ustedleyó
leíste
vosotrosleísteis
nosotrosleímos
ellos/ellas/ustedesleyeron

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "lees" in Spanish:

are reading

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: lees

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'lees'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

The infinitive 'leer' comes from the Latin verb *legere*, meaning 'to gather, collect, or read aloud'. The original sense of collecting letters or words evolved into the modern meaning of comprehending written text.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

French: lireItalian: leggere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'lees' a regular or irregular verb form?

While 'lees' (and the whole present tense except 'yo') looks regular, the infinitive 'leer' is considered irregular because its past tense forms (like 'leyó' and 'leyeron') require a spelling change (i to y) to make them sound right.

How do I say 'You are reading' right now?

The simplest way is still 'lees'. However, if you want to emphasize that the action is happening *at this exact moment*, you can use the structure: 'Estás leyendo' (You are reading).