Llevar is a Spanish verb that is used in different contexts and different verbal structures. We'll explain the main differences between "llevar" (non-pronominal) and "llevarse" (pronominal).
Learn about the Spanish verb "llevar"
Transporting something or someone to a place
Here llevar means "to take", for example:
Cuando llevo a los niños al colegio siempre me encuentro con Paula.When I take the children to school I always bump into Paula.
Note that if the object is "people" you need "a" in front (llevo a los niños)
Where something leads to
Indicating that you bring/carry something with you
What someone is wearing
What food contains/has
If you are in a restaurant and want to ask the waiter what a dish has/contains if it is the first time you see it in a menu, you can ask:
Learn about the Spanish verb "llevarse"
Taking something with you - either borrowing or stealing it
To get or to take away something (figurative meaning)
Sometimes we use llevarse to express "to get" or "to take away" something in a figurative way, especially when talking about an experience. For example:
No puedes imaginarte el disgusto que me llevé el otro día.You wouldn't imagine the unpleasant experience I got the other day.
What you decide to buy in a shop , and tell the assistant
Getting along with people
Note that we use llevarse bien to say to get on well and llevarse mal to say you don't get on well with someone.
Don't forget to use the reflexive pronoun in all these last cases using "llevarse" (me, te, se, nos, os, se)
Important note:
In the context of "llevar" as in "transporting something/someone somewhere", explained in the first part of the lesson, we sometimes use the pronominal form of the verb with the purpose of emphasising the involvement of the person in the action. For example:
- Llevé las cajas al almacén.
- Me llevé las cajas al almacén. (more emphatic)
To learn about this specific use of "se" see this advanced lesson:
For other uses of llevar, see also:
Using llevar + present participle to express duration of an action in Spanish (perífrasis verbal) and Using llevar + past participle to express the completion of an action so far (perífrasis verbal)
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
