Inklingo

How to Say "they wore" in Spanish

English → Spanish

llevaron

lyeh-VAH-rohn/ʝeˈβa.ɾon/

verbA2clothing or accessories
Use 'llevaron' when specifically referring to people wearing items of clothing or accessories.
Two friends standing side-by-side, both wearing identical brightly colored red scarves and smiling.

Examples

Los invitados llevaron trajes de etiqueta en la boda.

The guests wore formal attire at the wedding.

Ellas llevaron sombreros elegantes al hipódromo.

They wore elegant hats to the racetrack.

Wearing vs. Putting On

When talking about clothes, 'llevar' means 'to wear' (the state). If you want to say 'they put on' the clothes (the action), you would use 'se pusieron'.

usaron

/oo-SAH-rohn//uˈsaɾon/

verbA1referring to clothing/accessories in the past
Use 'usaron' when referring to the past use or employment of an item, including clothing, but it's not limited to just wearing.
A simple storybook illustration showing two figures, a boy and a girl, collaborating to pull a bright red wagon filled with colorful blocks.

Examples

Ellos usaron la bicicleta para ir al mercado.

They used the bicycle to go to the market.

¿Ustedes usaron el coche nuevo ayer?

Did you all (formal) use the new car yesterday?

Las actrices usaron vestidos de gala en la ceremonia.

The actresses wore ball gowns at the ceremony.

The Simple Past (Preterite) Meaning

The form 'usaron' tells you about an action—'using' something—that started and finished completely at a specific moment in the past. It's a closed event.

Who Did the Action?

This form always refers to a group: 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal).

Past Tense Confusion

Mistake: “Using 'usaban' (imperfect) when referring to a single, completed event.”

Correction: Use 'usaron' for actions that happened one time and ended ('Ayer usaron el coche'). Use 'usaban' for repeated or ongoing past actions ('Antes siempre usaban el coche').

Wearing vs. Using

Learners often confuse 'llevaron' and 'usaron' when talking about clothing. Remember that 'llevaron' is specifically for the act of wearing items, while 'usaron' is a more general term for using something, which can include clothing but also objects.

Related Translations

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