verb

llevar

wear · carry

Es tomar algo o a alguien de un lugar a otro, o tener puesto algo como ropa o accesorios.

Definition & meaning

The verb llevar is one of the most versatile words in the Spanish language, with several distinct meanings depending on the context:

To transport or carry: The most common use is to move something or someone from the speaker's location to another place. For example, moving a suitcase or driving a friend home.
To wear: It is used to describe the act of wearing clothes, accessories, or even styles like a beard or long hair.
To lead or guide: It describes a path or road that goes to a certain destination, or the act of guiding someone to a specific spot.
To have been doing something (Time duration): In this grammatical construction (llevar + time period + gerund), it indicates how long an action has been ongoing. For example, "llevo dos horas esperando" means "I have been waiting for two hours."
To get along (Reflexive): When used as llevarse , it describes the quality of a relationship between people (e.g., "llevarse bien" means to get along well).
To contain ingredients: It can describe the components of a recipe or a mixture.

Grammar & Word origin

llevar is a regular verb belonging to the first conjugation (verbs ending in -ar).

The word originates from the Latin verb levare, which means "to lift" or "to raise." While the original Latin root focused on the vertical movement of lifting, the Spanish evolution shifted the focus toward the horizontal movement of transporting something once it has been picked up. This same Latin root is the ancestor of English words like "levitate" and "elevate."