Inklingo

llora

YOH-rahˈʝo.ɾa

llora means cries in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

cries, is cryingAlso: you cry

Rioplatense (Argentina/Uruguay)
A sad young child is sitting down, crying with tears visibly rolling down their cheek.
infinitivellorar
gerundllorando
past Participlellorado

📝 In Action

El bebé llora mucho cuando tiene hambre.

A1

The baby cries a lot when he is hungry.

Ella llora porque la película es muy triste.

A1

She is crying because the movie is very sad.

¿Usted llora por las noticias?

A2

Are you (formal) crying because of the news?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • solloza (sobs)
  • gime (whimpers/moans)

Antonyms

  • ríe (laughs)
  • sonríe (smiles)

Common Collocations

  • llora de alegríacries with joy
  • llora a marescries buckets/cries a lot

Cry!

Verb (Command Form)B1regular arinformal
A stern adult figure is pointing emphatically at a small, distressed child, suggesting a strong command or demand for an emotional reaction.

📝 In Action

¡No te guardes el dolor, llora, desahógate!

B1

Don't keep the pain inside, cry, vent!

Indicative

Present

yolloro
lloras
él/ella/ustedllora
nosotroslloramos
vosotroslloráis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslloran

Imperfect

yolloraba
llorabas
él/ella/ustedlloraba
nosotrosllorábamos
vosotrosllorabais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslloraban

Preterite

yolloré
lloraste
él/ella/ustedlloró
nosotroslloramos
vosotrosllorasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslloraron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yollore
llores
él/ella/ustedllore
nosotroslloremos
vosotroslloréis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslloren

Imperfect Subjunctive

yollorara
lloraras
él/ella/ustedllorara
nosotroslloráramos
vosotrosllorarais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslloraran

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "llora" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: llora

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'llora' to mean 'he is crying'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
llorar(to cry (infinitive))Verb
el llanto(the crying/weeping)Noun
llorón/llorona(crier/whiner (noun/adjective))Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *plōrāre*, which meant 'to weep loudly' or 'to wail.' The initial 'p' was lost over time, and the 'l' merged with the following vowel sound to create the Spanish 'll'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: piangerePortuguese: chorar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'llora' the same as 'lloras'?

No. 'Llora' means 'he/she/it cries' or 'you (formal) cry.' 'Lloras' means 'you (informal/tú) cry.' They are used with different subjects.

Can 'llora' be used as a command?

Yes! When speaking to a close friend, the informal command form is '¡Llora!' (Cry!). This is the same form as the third-person present tense.