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)
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Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics
Examples and resources
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...
Esta tarta no lleva harina de trigo. Está hecha con polenta.This cake doesn't have wheat flour. It's made with polenta.
Desafortunadamente, sus problemas de salud llevaron a su familia a la ruina.Unfortunately, his health problems took/led his family to ruin.
No puedes imaginarte el disgusto que me llevé el otro día.You wouldn't imagine the unpleasant experience I got the other day.
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.
¡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!
- ¿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.
¿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.
El ladrón se llevó todas las joyas que había en la vitrina.The thief took all the jewels that were in the display cabinet.
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.
