llevan
/yeh-VAHN/
they carry
Llevan (they carry) the harvest home.
llevan(verb)
they carry
?to transport physically
,you all carry
?ustedes form, to transport physically
they bring
?transporting to a location
,they take
?transporting away
📝 In Action
Ellos llevan las maletas pesadas al coche.
A1They carry the heavy suitcases to the car.
Ustedes siempre llevan sus propios vasos.
A2You all always carry your own cups.
Los mensajeros llevan paquetes por toda la ciudad.
A1The messengers carry packages all over the city.
💡 Grammar Points
A Regular AR Verb
'Llevar' is a totally regular verb, meaning its endings follow the standard pattern for verbs that end in -ar. Once you know one 'ar' verb, you know them all!
Llevan (they wear) their favorite accessories.
llevan(verb)
they wear
?clothing or accessories
,you all wear
?ustedes form, clothing or accessories
they sport
?to display clothing
📝 In Action
En la escuela, todos los niños llevan uniforme azul.
A1At school, all the children wear blue uniforms.
¿Qué colores llevan ellos hoy?
A1What colors are they wearing today?
Mis vecinos llevan gafas de sol en interiores.
A2My neighbors wear sunglasses indoors.
💡 Grammar Points
Wearing vs. Dressing
In Spanish, 'llevar' is used to describe the items someone has on (They wear socks: 'Llevan calcetines'). 'Vestir' means the action of getting dressed or clothing someone.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Ponerse'
Mistake: "Dicen que se ponen abrigos."
Correction: Dicen que llevan abrigos. ('Ponerse' means 'to put on,' 'llevar' means 'to wear.')
Llevan (they have been) growing the garden for many seasons.
llevan(verb)
they have been
?duration of an action (followed by gerund)
it has been
?when talking about time (often impersonal structure)
📝 In Action
Llevan veinte minutos esperándonos.
A2They have been waiting for us for twenty minutes.
Los negocios llevan años perdiendo dinero.
B1The businesses have been losing money for years.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevan en ese trabajo?
A2How long have you all been at that job?
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About Duration
To say how long something has been going on, Spanish uses the pattern: 'Llevar' + [time period] + [verb ending in -ando/-iendo]. This is a great alternative to using 'hace que...'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up the English 'Since'
Mistake: "Llevan estudiando desde 2018."
Correction: Llevan estudiando DESDE 2018. (The structure 'llevar + time' already implies 'for,' but you use 'desde' if you name a start date.)
Llevan (they manage) the construction project successfully.
llevan(verb)
they manage
?leading a business or project
,they handle
?dealing with a situation
they lead
?guiding a team
,they conduct
?carrying out activities
📝 In Action
Los ejecutivos llevan el proyecto con mucha calma.
B1The executives manage the project very calmly.
Dicen que llevan una relación a distancia.
B2They say they are handling a long-distance relationship.
Estos temas se llevan en una reunión aparte.
B1These topics are handled in a separate meeting.
💡 Grammar Points
Abstract Usage
Think of this meaning as 'carrying' the weight or responsibility of a task, project, or relationship.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llevan
Question 1 of 2
Which English translation fits the sentence: 'Llevan tres años sin hablarse'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 'llevan' different from 'traen' (they bring)?
'Llevan' usually means moving something *away* from the speaker or taking it *along* to a destination (like 'take' or 'carry'). 'Traen' means moving something *toward* the speaker or to a place where the speaker is (like 'bring').
Can I use 'llevan' to talk about food ingredients?
Yes! When talking about recipes, 'lleva' (the singular form) is very common and means 'it contains' or 'it requires.' For example: 'La sopa lleva muchas verduras' (The soup has/contains many vegetables).