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llevaban

yeh-VAH-bahn/ʝeˈβaβan/

they were carrying, they were wearing, you (all) were carrying

Also: they used to carry
VerbA1regular ar
Two figures, possibly travelers, carrying a heavy, large wooden box together across an open field.
past Participlellevado
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando

📝 In Action

Los niños llevaban mochilas muy pesadas a la escuela.

A1

The children were carrying very heavy backpacks to school.

Ellas siempre llevaban vestidos de colores vivos.

A2

They always wore brightly colored dresses (They used to wear...).

¿Qué llevaban ustedes cuando los vimos en la playa?

A2

What were you all wearing when we saw you at the beach?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • transportaban (they were transporting)
  • vestían (they were dressing/wearing)

Common Collocations

  • llevaban equipaje – they were carrying luggage

they were taking, they were driving/leading

Also: they used to take
VerbA2regular ar
Two figures walking along a path, pulling a small red wagon filled with items toward a distant hill.
past Participlellevado
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando

📝 In Action

Ellos llevaban a sus hijos al parque cada sábado.

A2

They used to take their children to the park every Saturday.

Los guías nos llevaban por caminos secretos de la montaña.

B1

The guides were taking us along secret paths on the mountain.

Ustedes llevaban el coche demasiado rápido por la autopista.

B1

You all were driving the car too fast on the highway.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • guiaban (they were guiding)
  • conducían (they were driving)

Common Collocations

  • llevaban la iniciativa – they were leading the way

they had been (doing something), they were managing

Also: they were putting up with
VerbB1regular ar
A wide view of a field where a long wooden fence has been mostly constructed. Two figures are seen finishing the last section of the fence.
past Participlellevado
infinitivellevar
gerundllevando

📝 In Action

Llevaban cinco años de novios cuando se casaron.

B1

They had been dating for five years when they got married. (They were carrying five years of being engaged).

Antes, ellos llevaban una vida muy tranquila en el campo.

B2

Before, they led a very quiet life in the countryside.

Llevaban la situación con mucha calma, a pesar de los problemas.

B2

They were handling the situation very calmly, despite the problems.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • gestionaban (they were managing)
  • aguantaban (they were enduring)

Common Collocations

  • llevaban tiempo – they had been doing for a while

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

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

preterite

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

imperfect

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

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

vosotrosllevarais/llevaseis
él/ella/ustedllevara/llevase
túllevaras/llevases
yollevara/llevase
nosotroslleváramos/llevásemos
ellos/ellas/ustedesllevaran/llevasen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: llevaban

Question 1 of 2

Which meaning of 'llevaban' is used in the sentence: 'Llevaban diez horas caminando cuando se detuvieron'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
llevar(to carry, to take) — Verb
llevada(taking, carrying (noun)) — Noun
llevadero(bearable, tolerable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
cantabanmiraban
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'llevar' comes from the Latin word *levare*, which originally meant 'to lift' or 'to raise.' Over time, this evolved in Spanish to mean 'to carry' or 'to take' something somewhere.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: levareFrench: lever

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'llevaban' and 'llevaron'?

'Llevaban' (Imperfect) describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past ('They were carrying,' 'They used to carry'). 'Llevaron' (Preterite) describes a single, completed action in the past ('They carried/took it once').

Who is 'llevaban' referring to?

It can refer to 'ellos' (they, masculine), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal plural).