Using the Spanish Verb Llevar

Using the Spanish Verb Llevar The Spanish verb llevar used to mean primarily to carry a heavy burden. However, it has become one of the most flexible verbs in the language, used not only in discussing what a person carries, but also what a person wears, has, does, tolerates, or moves. As a result, it isnt always easy to tell what llevar means out of context. Llevar is conjugated regularly. Using Llevar as Meaning To Wear One of the most common uses of llevar is as the equivalent of to wear clothing or accessories. It can also refer to wearing or sporting a type of style. Normally, if a person is wearing a type of item of which he or she would wear or use only one at a time, the indefinite article (un or una, the equivalent of a or an) is not used. Often the definite article (el or la (the equivalent of the) can be used instead. If the identity of the item is important, such as if the sentence identifies the items color, an indefinite article is retained. No es necesario llevar el sombrero. (It isnt necessary to wear your hat.)Ha decidido llevar la barba. (He has decided to sport a beard.)No olvides taparte el cuello y lleva camisa de manga larga. (Dont forget to cover up your neck and wear a long-sleeved shirt.)No sabemos cà ³mo vamos a llevar el pelo. (We dont know how we are going to wear our hair.) Other Uses for Llevar Here are examples of llevar in use with meanings other than to wear, along with possible translations. Each item in the list shows the expression using llevar, a common meaning and examples in Spanish with a translation to English: llevar (algo) - to carry (something) - No puedo llevar nada ms. (I cant carry anything else.)llevar (algo) - to take or move (something) - Voy a llevar los platos al sà ³tano. (Im going to take the dishes to the basement.)llevar (algo) - to tolerate, cope or deal with (something) - (Lleva muy bien las derrotas.  (He puts up with defeat very well.)llevar (algo or a alguien) - to transport (something or someone) - Pedro nos llevà ³ al aeropuerto.  (Pedro took us to the airport.)llevar (ingrediente) - to have or include (an ingredient) - A mi madre le gusta todo lo que lleva chocolate. (My mother likes anything with chocolate in it.)llevar (un vehà ­culo) - to drive (a vehicle) - Llevà ³ el coche a Madrid. (She drove the car to Madrid.)llevar (una organizacià ³n o una empresa) - to direct, run or lead (an organization or business) - Ingrid lleva la tienda de artesanà ­a. (Ingrid runs the artists store.)llevar (un nombre) - to bear (a name) - Una calle de Candel aria lleva el nombre de Josà © Rodrà ­guez Ramà ­rez. (A Candelaria street bears the name of Josà © Rodrà ­guez Ramà ­rez.) llevar (tiempo) - to last (time) - Llevo meses diciendo que hay metodologias alternativas. (Ive been saying for months there are other ways.) Llevo tres dà ­as sin dormir. (Ive gone three days without sleeping.)llevar (dinero) - to charge (money) - El revendedor me llevà ³ mucho dinero por los boletos. (The scalper charged me a lot of money for the tickets.) Using Llevarse Llevarse, the reflexive form of llevar, also has a variety of meanings: llevarse - to get along with or be suitable for  - Nos llevamos bien. (We get along well together.) No se lleva bien con su madre. (He doesnt get along well with his mother.) Este aà ±o se lleva bien los pantalones cortos. (Short pants are in style this year.)llevarse (algo) - to take (something) - Llà ©vatelo. (Take it with you.) Quisiera llevarme la flor. (Id like to take the flower with me.)llevarse (algo) - to receive or win (something) - Se llevà ³ el premio Nobel. (She won the Nobel Prize.) Idioms Using Llevar Here are examples of idiomatic phrases using llevar: dejarse llevar - to be carried along, to go with the flow - Optà © por lo que sentà  en el momento y me dejà © llevar por la incertidumbre. (I chose according to what I felt at the moment and let myself be carried along with the uncertainty.)llevar a (algo) - to lead to (something) - La mediacià ³n papal llevà ³ a la paz entre Argentina y Chile. (The popes mediation led to peace between Argentina and Chile.) Me llevà ³ a creer que es inteligente. (She led me to believe she is intelligent.)llevar a cabo - to accomplish, to perform - Alrededor de 400 personas llevaron a cabo la Marcha por La Dignidad. (About 400 people demonstrated in the March for Dignity.)llevar a cenar - to take out to dinner - Lo mejor es que nos llevà ³ a cenar en la ciudad vieja. (The best thing is that she took us to dinner in the old city.)llevar cuenta - to keep account -  ¿Quià ©n lleva cuenta del resultado? Whos keeping track of the score?llevar encima - to have on ones person - En ese momento me di cuenta de que no llevaba dinero encima. (At that moment I realized that I didnt have any money on me.) para llevar - to go (as in takeout food) - Quisiera dos hamburguesas para llevar. (Id like two hamburgers to go.)

Past and Present Participles

Past and Present Participles There are two types of participles in English, and each type is used in a variety of ways. Present Participles The first type of participle is the present participle. The present participle is often referred to as the -ing form of the verb. Here are some examples of present participles in italics: The sun was shining so I went for a walk.The man speaking English is our teacher.That movie was extremely exciting. Past Participles Past participles are used similarly to present participles. Here are some examples of past participles in italics: He has flown to Chicago twice.The broken boy returned home without a prize.That man looks lost. Participles Used as the Main Verb Participles are used with  auxiliary verbs in a variety of tenses. It is important to remember that the changes in the conjugation of the verb are made to the auxiliary verb. The participle form remains the same.   Present participles are used for continuous (or progressive) tenses. These include the present continuous, past continuous and future continuous. Present Continuous: They are  watching  TV at the moment.Past Continuous: Mary was  talking  on the telephone when I came home.Future Continuous: Ill be  playing  golf tomorrow at three oclock.Present Perfect Continuous: He has been  working  in the garden for twenty minutes.Past Perfect Continuous: They had been  waiting  for thirty minutes when he finally arrived.Future Perfect Continuous: Jack will have been  studying  for four hours by six oclock.Past participles are used with simple perfect tenses (continuous perfect or progressive perfect tenses take the participle been the present participle - have been playing, will have been working, etc.).Present Perfect: Shes already  eaten  lunch.Past Perfect: They had  left  for California before she called.Future Perfect: I will have  bought  the clothes by tomorrow evening. Passive Voice and Participles Past participles are also used in all passive voice sentences. To quickly review the passive voice structure: Passive Subject be (conjugated) past participlePresent passive: Tom was taught by Frankie.Past passive: My car was made in Germany. Participles Used as Adjectives Participles can also be used as adjectives to describe nouns. The difference between the present participle and the past participle can make quite a difference in meaning: The bored man went to sleep during the discussion.The boring man put other people to sleep during the discussion. In the first sentence, the past participle bored is used to mean that the man himself was bored; in the second sentence, the present participle boring is used to mean that the man was boring to others. The past participle is used as a passive adjective. The passive adjective expresses how someone feels.   Any interested student should apply in the office.  The overly excited boys need to calm down! The present participle is used as an active adjective. The active adjective describes the effect on people or things: Hes an interesting professor. Id like to take a class with him.  Shes a boring speaker.   Participles Used as Adverbs The present participle is sometimes used as an adverb to describe the manner in which a verb is performed. Here are a few examples: She taught  pounding the grammar into their heads!Angelo works  considering all angles. Notice how the present participle could be preceded with by to give the same meaning: She taught (by) pounding the grammar into their heads!Angelo works (by) considering all angles. Participles Used like Clauses Finally, participles are also used in short phrases that function as clauses. In some cases, the phrase containing the participle drops the relative pronoun: Whos that boy playing the piano? - (Who is that boy whos  playing the piano?)Thats the man remembered by his friends. - (That is the man who was remembered by his friends.) These structures can also introduce sentences with either the present participle or the past participle: Spending all his free time in the library, he continued to learn outside of class.Left alone with nowhere to go, Mary decided to return home a few days early. Present Participles and Gerunds The present participle is often confused with the gerund which is also casually referred to as the ing form of the verb. The  difference between the gerund and the present participle  can be confusing. The main difference is that a gerund is used as a noun: Taking a vacation is important to your mental health.We enjoy watching romantic comedies.