llevaban
/yeh-VAH-bahn/
they were carrying
As 'they were carrying', this depicts two people transporting something physical.
llevaban(verb)
they were carrying
?transporting something physical
,they were wearing
?clothing or accessories
,you (all) were carrying
?formal plural usage (Ustedes)
they used to carry
?habitual past action
📝 In Action
Los niños llevaban mochilas muy pesadas a la escuela.
A1The children were carrying very heavy backpacks to school.
Ellas siempre llevaban vestidos de colores vivos.
A2They always wore brightly colored dresses (They used to wear...).
¿Qué llevaban ustedes cuando los vimos en la playa?
A2What were you all wearing when we saw you at the beach?
💡 Grammar Points
The Imperfect Tense
'Llevaban' describes an action that was happening continuously in the past ('they were carrying') or something that happened repeatedly as a habit ('they used to carry').
Llevar vs. Traer
Use 'llevar' when the movement is away from the speaker (like 'take'), and 'traer' when the movement is toward the speaker (like 'bring').
⭐ Usage Tips
Wearing vs. Having
In Spanish, you use 'llevar' (llevaban) to say what clothing someone has on, not 'tener' (to have).
Illustrating 'they were taking', the image shows the act of transporting items to a location.
llevaban(verb)
they were taking
?transporting to a location
,they were driving/leading
?guiding people or vehicles
they used to take
?habitual past action to a place
📝 In Action
Ellos llevaban a sus hijos al parque cada sábado.
A2They used to take their children to the park every Saturday.
Los guías nos llevaban por caminos secretos de la montaña.
B1The guides were taking us along secret paths on the mountain.
Ustedes llevaban el coche demasiado rápido por la autopista.
B1You all were driving the car too fast on the highway.
💡 Grammar Points
Imperfect for Description
This tense is perfect for describing the background or setting of a past event: 'They were taking us (llevaban) when suddenly the car broke down (se rompió)'.
This visualizes 'they had been (doing something)', emphasizing an activity that took place over a period of time.
llevaban(verb)
they had been (doing something)
?measuring time, duration
,they were managing
?handling a relationship or situation
they were putting up with
?enduring (often used with 'con')
📝 In Action
Llevaban cinco años de novios cuando se casaron.
B1They 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.
B2Before, they led a very quiet life in the countryside.
Llevaban la situación con mucha calma, a pesar de los problemas.
B2They were handling the situation very calmly, despite the problems.
💡 Grammar Points
Expressing Duration in the Past
To say how long something had been happening, Spanish often uses the Imperfect 'llevar' plus a period of time: 'Llevaban meses esperándonos' (They had been waiting for us for months).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Estar' for Time Duration
Mistake: "Estaban tres años casados."
Correction: Llevaban tres años casados. (Use 'llevar' to express duration up until a point in the past.)
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ 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
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).