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lleva

yeh-vahˈʝeβa

he/she carries, he/she takes

Also: you (formal) carry/take
VerbA1regular ar
A woman walking, carrying a large, heavy cardboard moving box in her arms across a sunny room.
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando
past Participlellevado

📝 In Action

Mi padre siempre lleva un maletín al trabajo.

A1

My father always carries a briefcase to work.

Ella lleva los platos sucios a la cocina.

A1

She takes the dirty plates to the kitchen.

Lleva este paraguas, parece que va a llover.

A2

Take this umbrella, it looks like it's going to rain.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • llevar a cabo – to carry out, to accomplish
  • llevar la cuenta – to keep track, to keep count

he/she wears

Also: you (formal) wear
VerbA1regular ar
A smiling man wearing bright red reading glasses and a blue shirt.
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando
past Participlellevado

📝 In Action

Mi hermana lleva un vestido verde hoy.

A1

My sister is wearing a green dress today.

Él lleva gafas para leer.

A1

He wears glasses to read.

Ella lleva el pelo corto.

A2

She wears her hair short.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • llevar puesto/a – to have on, to be wearing

Idioms & Expressions

  • llevar los pantalones – to be the boss, to be in charge (in a relationship or family)

he/she has been (doing something)

VerbB1regular ar
A young student sitting at a wooden desk with many open books and papers, intensely focused on studying, implying a long duration of effort.
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando
past Participlellevado

📝 In Action

Ella lleva dos horas estudiando para el examen.

B1

She has been studying for the exam for two hours.

Mi tío lleva diez años trabajando en la misma empresa.

B1

My uncle has been working at the same company for ten years.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • llevar + [tiempo] + gerundio – to have been [doing something] for [time]

it has, it contains

VerbA2regular ar
A clear glass bowl of vegetable soup showing visible, distinct chunks of carrot, potato, and green peas floating in broth.
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando
past Participlellevado

📝 In Action

¿La sopa lleva sal?

A2

Does the soup have salt?

Este cóctel lleva vodka y jugo de naranja.

B1

This cocktail contains vodka and orange juice.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Indicative

Present

yollevo
túllevas
él/ella/ustedlleva
nosotrosllevamos
vosotroslleváis
ellos/ellas/ustedesllevan

Imperfect

yollevaba
túllevabas
él/ella/ustedllevaba
nosotrosllevábamos
vosotrosllevabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesllevaban

Preterite

yollevé
túllevaste
él/ella/ustedllevó
nosotrosllevamos
vosotrosllevasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesllevaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yolleve
túlleves
él/ella/ustedlleve
nosotrosllevemos
vosotrosllevéis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslleven

Imperfect Subjunctive

yollevara
túllevaras
él/ella/ustedllevara
nosotroslleváramos
vosotrosllevarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesllevaran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "lleva" in Spanish:

it contains→it has→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: lleva

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'lleva' to mean 'wears'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
llevar(to carry, to wear) — Verb
llevadero(bearable, tolerable) — Adjective
conllevar(to entail, to involve) — Verb
sobrellevar(to endure, to bear) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'levāre', which meant 'to lift' or 'to lighten'. You can see the connection: when you lift something, you can then carry ('llevar') it somewhere.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: levarItalian: levareFrench: lever

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'llevar' and 'traer'?

Think about your location. Use 'llevar' (to take) for movement away from you. For example, 'Llevo el libro a la biblioteca' (I'm taking the book to the library). Use 'traer' (to bring) for movement towards you. For example, '¿Me traes un vaso de agua?' (Can you bring me a glass of water?).

I've seen 'se lleva'. How is that different from 'lleva'?

'Lleva' by itself has many meanings like 'to carry' or 'to wear'. When you add 'se' to make 'se lleva', it often changes the meaning. A common one is 'llevarse bien/mal con alguien', which means 'to get along well/poorly with someone'. Another meaning for 'se lleva' is 'to be in fashion', like 'Este año se llevan los colores vivos' (Bright colors are in fashion this year).