Spanish verbs Llevar vs Llevarse (pronominal verbs)

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.

Victoria llevará las cajas al almacén mañana.Victoria will take the boxes to the warehouse tomorrow.

¿Quieres que te lleve a la estación?Do you want me to take you to the station?

Note that if the object is "people" you need "a" in front (llevo a los niños)

 

Where something leads to

Desafortunadamente, sus problemas de salud llevaron a su familia a la ruina.Unfortunately, his health problems took/led his family to ruin.

 

Indicating that you bring/carry something with you

Recuerda que tienes que llevar tu pasaporte y tu carné de conducir.Remember that you need to carry/bring your passport and driving-license with you.

Yo siempre llevo en el bolso pañuelos de papel.I always bring/carry/have tissues in my bag.


What someone is wearing

¡Esa señora lleva un sombrero horroroso!That lady is wearing a horrible hat!

No sé qué llevar a la fiesta de fin de año...I don't know what to wear for/at the New Year's Eve party...

 

What food contains/has

Esta salsa lleva mucho chile y está muy picante.This sauce has a lot of chilli and it's very spicy.

Esta tarta no lleva harina de trigo. Está hecha con polenta.This cake doesn't have wheat flour. It's made with polenta.

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:

¿Qué lleva este plato?What does this dish have/contain? (What ingredients are in this dish?)

 

Learn about the Spanish verb "llevarse

 

Taking something with you - either borrowing or stealing it

Mi hija se ha llevado las llaves del coche, así que tendré que ir en autobús al trabajo.My daughter took the car keys with her, so I'll have to go to work by bus.

El ladrón se llevó todas las joyas que había en la vitrina.The thief took all the jewels that were in the display cabinet.

 

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.

¡Qué sorpresa se llevó Enrique con la fiesta de despedida que le organizamos!What a surprise Enrique got with the farewell party we organized for him!

Tengo que admitir que me llevo todo el cariño de mi increible público durante mis años como cantante.I must admit that I take away with me all the love from my incredible fans during my years as a singer.

 

What you decide to buy in a shop , and tell the assistant

- ¿Se lleva usted la falda y el vestido? - Solo la falda.- Are you taking/buying the skirt and the dress? - Just the skirt.

Me llevo los pantalones negros de la talla grande.I'm taking/buying the black trousers in the large size.

 

Getting along with people

¿Tú te llevas bien con Verónica? Yo no. Siempre estamos peleándonos.Do you get on with Veronica? I don't. We are always falling out.

Me llevo muy mal con mis compañeros de piso.I don't get along with my flat mates. 

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:

The Spanish Se aspectual

 

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)

 

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Examples and resources

Me llevo muy mal con mis compañeros de piso.I don't get along with my flat mates. 
Esta salsa lleva mucho chile y está muy picante.This sauce has a lot of chilli and it's very spicy.
Cuando llevo a los niños al colegio siempre me encuentro con Paula.When I take the children to school I always bump into Paula.
Victoria llevará las cajas al almacén mañana.Victoria will take the boxes to the warehouse tomorrow.
¿Quieres que te lleve a la estación?Do you want me to take you to the station?
Recuerda que tienes que llevar tu pasaporte y tu carné de conducir.Remember that you need to carry/bring your passport and driving-license with you.
Me llevo los pantalones negros de la talla grande.I'm taking/buying the black trousers in the large size.
Yo siempre llevo en el bolso pañuelos de papel.I always bring/carry/have tissues in my bag.
¿Qué lleva este plato?What does this dish have/contain? (What ingredients are in this dish?)
¡Esa señora lleva un sombrero horroroso!That lady is wearing a horrible hat!
Desafortunadamente, sus problemas de salud llevaron a su familia a la ruina.Unfortunately, his health problems took/led his family to ruin.
No sé qué llevar a la fiesta de fin de año...I don't know what to wear for/at the New Year's Eve party...
No puedes imaginarte el disgusto que me llevé el otro día.You wouldn't imagine the unpleasant experience I got the other day.
Esta tarta no lleva harina de trigo. Está hecha con polenta.This cake doesn't have wheat flour. It's made with polenta.
¡Qué sorpresa se llevó Enrique con la fiesta de despedida que le organizamos!What a surprise Enrique got with the farewell party we organized for him!
Mi hija se ha llevado las llaves del coche, así que tendré que ir en autobús al trabajo.My daughter took the car keys with her, so I'll have to go to work by bus.
- ¿Se lleva usted la falda y el vestido? - Solo la falda.- Are you taking/buying the skirt and the dress? - Just the skirt.
Tengo que admitir que me llevo todo el cariño de mi increible público durante mis años como cantante.I must admit that I take away with me all the love from my incredible fans during my years as a singer.
El ladrón se llevó todas las joyas que había en la vitrina.The thief took all the jewels that were in the display cabinet.
¿Tú te llevas bien con Verónica? Yo no. Siempre estamos peleándonos.Do you get on with Veronica? I don't. We are always falling out.
Let me take a look at that...