llevarle
/yeh-var-leh/
to take it to him/her
Visualizing 'to take it to him/her': A child transports a gift to an adult recipient.
llevarle(Verb (Infinitive phrase))
to take it to him/her
?transporting an item to someone
,to bring it to him/her
?transporting an item to someone's location
to deliver to you (formal)
?using 'usted' as the recipient
📝 In Action
Necesito llevarle este informe al gerente antes de las cinco.
A2I need to take this report to the manager before five.
No olvides llevarle flores a tu madre por su cumpleaños.
A1Don't forget to take flowers to your mother for her birthday.
💡 Grammar Points
Pronoun Attachment
When using the infinitive ('llevar'), the pronoun 'le' (meaning 'to him,' 'to her,' or 'to you formal') is attached directly to the end, forming one word.
The 'a' Personal
The person receiving the action ('le') is often specified later using 'a' plus their name or title (e.g., 'llevarle [algo] al jefe'). This is called clarification.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Indirect Object
Mistake: "Llevar la carta. (If you mean 'take the letter to him/her')"
Correction: Llevar*le* la carta. The 'le' is necessary to show that the action is directed *toward* someone.
⭐ Usage Tips
Placement Flexibility
When using a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive, you can put the pronoun before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive (e.g., 'Le quiero llevar el café' or 'Quiero llevarle el café').
Visualizing 'to be older than him/her': The clear height difference between the siblings represents the age gap.
llevarle(Verb (Idiomatic phrase))
to be older than him/her
?age difference
,to lead him/her by (a margin)
?in competition or score
to have an advantage over him/her
?general superiority
📝 In Action
No me gusta llevarle cinco años de diferencia a mi pareja.
B1I don't like being five years older than my partner.
El equipo necesita llevarle dos goles al rival para asegurar la victoria.
B2The team needs to lead the rival by two goals to secure the victory.
💡 Grammar Points
Expressing Age Difference
In this context, 'llevarle' is used to talk about the difference in age between two people. The person who is older 'lleva' the age difference to the younger person.
Expressing Lead/Advantage
When talking about sports or scores, you use 'llevarle' plus the amount of the lead (e.g., 'llevarle tres puntos').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Age Verbs
Mistake: "Mi hermana es cinco años mayor que yo. (Correct, but less common in conversation)"
Correction: Mi hermana me lleva cinco años. (Using 'llevar' is often the most natural way to express this in Spanish.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Lead
Remember that the person who is ahead or older is the subject doing the action (the one who 'lleva'), and the person who is behind is the indirect object ('le').
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llevarle
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'llevarle' in the idiomatic sense of expressing a difference?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'llevarle' written as one word?
In Spanish, when you use a pronoun like 'le' with an infinitive (the base form of the verb, like 'llevar'), the pronoun must attach directly to the end of the infinitive, creating a single word. This is mandatory for infinitives and gerunds.
Is 'llevarle' the same as 'llevarlo' or 'llevarla'?
No. 'Llevarle' means 'to take *to* him/her' (the person receiving the action). 'Llevarlo' (take *it*, masculine object) or 'llevarla' (take *it*, feminine object) means taking the object itself. They are different grammatical roles: 'le' is an indirect object, and 'lo/la' are direct objects.