Inklingo

How to Say "are reading" in Spanish

The Spanish word forare readingis leesA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

lees

VerbA1
as in: 'What are you reading right now?'
A high quality storybook illustration of a young person sitting comfortably and deeply absorbed in reading an open book.

Examples

¿Qué lees en tu tiempo libre?

What do you read in your free time?

Si lees este libro, entenderás la historia.

If you read this book, you will understand the story.

Parece que lees la mente, porque justo iba a preguntar eso.

It seems like you read minds, because I was just about to ask that.

Using 'Tú'

'Lees' is the form you use when you are talking directly to one friend, family member, or child. If you are speaking to someone formally (like a boss or a stranger), you would use 'usted lee'.

Reading as a Continuous Action

In Spanish, 'lees' can mean both 'you read' (habitually) and 'you are reading' (right now). You usually don't need the extra verb 'estar' unless you want to emphasize the ongoing nature: 'Estás leyendo'.

Forgetting the Accent on the Past Participle

Mistake:He leido (I have read)

Correction: He leído. The accent mark on the 'i' is crucial to separate the vowels and ensure the word has two syllables (le-í-do), not one (lei-do).

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