Llevar Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

This is a comprehensive grammar guide for the Spanish verb “llevar”, meaning “to carry”, “to bring” or “to wear”. In some contexts, it can also mean “to lead”.

As a regular -AR verb, “llevar” adheres to a typical pattern in conjugation for all tenses (unlike many of the irregular verbs you will find in my other guides). 

This makes it a great verb to study in order to understand regular Spanish verb conjugation and how it works in multiple tenses. 

I’m James, from Learn Spanish With James and in this guide, you’ll learn every “llevar” conjugation across simple, compound, and subjunctive tenses. 

I will also provide you with example sentences and English translations. 

Learning how to conjugate ”llevar” with this guide will make it easier for you to use it in everyday interactions in various contexts. 

I hope you will find this guide to be a clear and concise resource for mastering this essential aspect of Spanish grammar.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevo
you	tú	llevas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	lleva
we	nosotros,nosotras	llevamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	lleváis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	llevan

When We Use The Present Tense

As the name of this tense suggests, the present tense in Spanish describes actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, or general truths.

The translation in English is visible in the verb table above, as well as in the example sentences I have provided below. 

Top Tip: In Spanish, you can use the verb “llevar” in the present tense to state how long something has been taking place. For example, “Mi novia y yo llevamos cinco años juntos.” (My girlfriend and I have been together for five years).

Examples of the Present Tense “Llevar” Conjugation

• Yo llevo una camisa azul. (I wear a blue shirt.)
• Tú llevas una mochila al colegio. (You carry a backpack to school.)
• Él/ella lleva su mochila a todas partes. (He/she carries his backpack everywhere.)
• Nosotros llevamos a los niños al parque. (We take the children to the park.)
• Vosotros lleváis sombreros en verano. (You wear hats in summer.)
• Ellos/ ellas llevan una vida activa. (They lead an active life.)

Preterite Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevé
you	tú	llevaste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	llevó
we	nosotros, nosotras	llevamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	llevasteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	llevaron

When We Use The Preterite Tense

The preterite tense in Spanish describes past actions that are viewed as completed or specific events that occurred at a particular point in time.

You will read this precise definition across many of my studies guides. Remember, tense usage and the way we use verbs in specific tenses does not change. 

With the above use case in mind, the literal translation of “llevar” in the preterite tense is “carried” or “wore”. 

This tense is often employed when narrating a sequence of events in a story or recounting actions that occurred once in the past without ongoing relevance. 

For instance, “Tomé un taxi al aeropuerto, llevé mi maleta conmigo, y me compré un sandwich cuando llegué.” (I took a taxi to the airport, I carried my suitcase with me, and I bought myself a sandwich when I arrived).

Be careful not to confuse this tense with the imperfect tense, which we will come on to shortly.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Preterite Tense Conjugation

• Yo llevé un abrigo ayer. (I wore a coat yesterday.)
• Tú llevaste los libros a la escuela. (You carried the books to school.)
• Él/ella llevó la comida al picnic el sábado pasado. (He brought the food to the picnic last Saturday.)
• Nosotros llevamos la comida a la fiesta. (We brought the food to the party.)
• Vosotros llevasteis los trajes a la boda. (You brought the suits to the wedding.)
• Ellos/ellas llevaron a cabo el proyecto. (They carried out the project.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevaba
you	tú	llevabas
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	llevaba
we	nosotros, nosotras	llevábamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	llevabais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	llevaban

When We Use The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense in Spanish allows us to describe past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated. 

We use this tense when setting the scene or providing background information in narratives. For this reason, you will see the imperfect tense frequently in literature.

An example of the imperfect tense followed by the preterite tense in the same sentence is as follows: 

“Llevaba un libro en la mano cuando la chica entró.” (I was carrying a book in hand when the girl came in).

Examples of the Imperfect Tense “Llevar” Conjugation

• Yo llevaba gafas de sol todos los días. (I used to wear sunglasses every day.)
• Tú llevabas una chaqueta roja cuando te vi. (You were wearing a red jacket when I saw you.)
• Él/ ella llevaba una mochila al colegio todos los días. (He used to carry a backpack to school every day.)
• Nosotros llevábamos una vida sencilla en aquel pueblo. (We led a simple life in that town.)
• Vosotros llevabais años trabajando juntos. (You had been working together for years.)
• Ellos/ ellas llevaban el pelo largo de pequeñas. (They used to have long hair when they were young.)

Future Tense 

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevaré
you	tú	llevarás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	llevará
we	nosotros,nosotras	llevaremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	llevaréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	llevarán

When We Use The Future Tense

The future tense in Spanish for “llevar” expresses actions that will occur in the future. It’s employed when discussing plans, predictions, or intentions.

The important word here is “will”. This is the translation of any future tense usage

For instance, “Llevaré a cabo el proyecto la próxima semana” (I will carry out the project next week).

Top Tip: In Spanish, “llevar a cabo” means “to carry out”. It’s a phrasal verb worth learning to boost your oral exam scores.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Future Tense

• Yo llevaré un paraguas por si llueve. (I will carry an umbrella in case it rains.)
• Tú llevarás el vestido que te regalé. (You will wear the dress I gave you.)
• Nosotros llevaremos comida para la excursión. (We will bring food for the excursion.)
• Vosotros llevaréis las maletas al coche. (You will carry the suitcases to the car.)
• Ellos/ ellas llevarán a cabo el plan mañana. (They will carry out the plan tomorrow.)

Conditional Tense 

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevaría
you	tú	llevarías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	llevaría
we	nosotros,nosotras	llevaríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	llevaríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	llevarían

When We Use The Conditional Tense

The conditional tense in Spanish expresses actions that would happen under certain conditions or to convey polite requests, suggestions, or hypothetical scenarios. 

We use this tense when discussing possibilities, desires, or outcomes dependent on other circumstances.

For instance, “Llevaríamos paraguas si el pronóstico fuera de lluvia” (We would carry umbrellas if the forecast were for rain).

Top Tip: You can use the conditional tense in the same sentence as the imperfect subjunctive to create a complex sentence strcuture in Spanish that will boost your oral or written exam scores.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Conditional Tense

• Yo llevaría un paraguas si el pronóstico fuera de lluvia. (I would carry an umbrella if the forecast were for rain.)
• Tú llevarías una chaqueta si hiciera frío. (You would wear a jacket if it were cold.)
• Él/Ella llevaría un traje elegante a la fiesta. (He/She would wear a fancy suit to the party.)
• Nosotros llevaríamos comida para la excursión. (We would bring food for the excursion.)
• Vosotros llevaríais regalos a la boda. (You would bring gifts to the wedding.)
• Ellos/Ellas llevarían a cabo el proyecto si tuvieran más tiempo. (They would carry out the project if they had more time.)

Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	he	llevado
you	tú	has	llevado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	ha	llevado
we	nosotros,nosotras	hemos	llevado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habéis	llevado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	han	llevado

When We Use The Perfect Tense

The perfect tense in Spanish is the first tense we will cover in this guide that requires the conjugation of the auxilary verb “haber”.

The translation is “have” followed by the past participle. In the context of “llevar”, this would be “I have carried out”, “I have worn”, or “I have led”. 

The great thing about the perfect tense, as well as the following past tenses we are about to cover, is that you can use them freely once you have learned the “haber” conjugations. 

The past particple for regular verbs is easy and predictable. I have provided examples below.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Preterite Perfect

• Yo he llevado mi pasaporte al aeropuerto. (I have carried my passport to the airport.)
• Has llevado tú el traje a la tintorería? (Have you taken your suit to the dry cleaner’s?)
• Él/Ella ha llevado una vida aventurera. (He/She has led an adventurous life.)
• Nosotros hemos llevado a cabo el proyecto con éxito. (We have carried out the project successfully.)
• Vosotros habéis llevado los libros a la biblioteca. (You have taken the books to the library.)
• Ellos/Ellas han llevado una dieta equilibrada. (They have followed a balanced diet.)

Pluperfect Tense 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	había	llevado
you	tú	habías	llevado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	había	llevado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habíamos	llevado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habíais	llevado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habían	llevado

When We Use The Pluperfect Tense

We use the pluperfect tense in Spanish to express actions that had already occurred before another past action. 

In order to create it, we have to learn the pluperfect form of the verb “haber” (as per the conjugation chart above), followed by the past participle of the main verb – in this case “llevar”.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Pluperfect Tense

• Yo había llevado mi maleta al aeropuerto cuando cancelaron el vuelo. (I had taken my suitcase to the airport when they canceled the flight.)
• Tú habías llevado el coche al taller antes de que se estropeara. (You had taken the car to the garage before it broke down.)
• Él/Ella había llevado años viviendo en esa ciudad antes de mudarse. (He/She had been living in that city for years before moving out.)
• Nosotros habíamos llevado comida al picnic cuando empezó a llover. (We had brought food to the picnic when it started to rain.)
• Vosotros habíais llevado a cabo el proyecto antes de que surgieran los problemas. (You had carried out the project before the problems arose.)
• Ellos/Ellas habían llevado una vida sencilla antes de ganar la lotería. (They had led a simple life before winning the lottery.)

Future Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	habré	llevado
you	tú	habrás	llevado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habrá	llevado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habremos	llevado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habréis	llevado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrán	llevado

When We Use The Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense in Spanish enables us to express actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future.

The English translation with “llevar” is “I will have worn” or “I will have carried”.

We’re getting into some complex but marvellously high level grammar structure now. If you can form the future perfect tense in any speaking exam, you’ll impress your examiner. 

Below, I have listed examples of this tense in context, but you should also check the conjugation chart to learn the “haber” conjugations you’ll need to learn too.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Future Perfect Tense

• Yo habré llevado mi equipaje al hotel antes de la hora del check-in. (I will have taken my luggage to the hotel before the check-in time.)
• Tú habrás llevado tu informe al jefe para la reunión de la mañana. (You will have taken your report to the boss for the morning meeting.)
• Él/Ella habrá llevado a cabo la investigación antes de la fecha límite. (He/She will have carried out the investigation before the deadline.)
• Nosotros habremos llevado los documentos al abogado antes de la cita. (We will have taken the documents to the lawyer before the appointment.)
• Vosotros habréis llevado los regalos a la fiesta de cumpleaños de mi hijo. (You will have brought the gifts to my son’s birthday party.)
• Ellos/Ellas habrán llevado a cabo el proyecto para la presentación. (They will have carried out the project for the presentation.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	habría	llevado
you	tú	habrías	llevado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habría	llevado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habríamos	llevado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habríais	llevado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrían	llevado

When We Use The Conditional Perfect Tense

The conditional perfect tense is used to describe actions that would have happened if certain conditions had been met in the past. 

It’s often used in hypothetical situations or to express regrets about past events.

While this may sound complicated, remember that we make this sentence structure in English all the time without even thinking about it (as you’ll see by my examples).

Just like the conditional tense, we can use the conditional perfect tense in the same sentence as the imperfect subjunctive. 

While this tense may sound complex and easy to brush over, you should do your best to learn it as quickly as possible. 

When you can use it, you’ll be able to create sentences like the examples listed below. 

Examples of “Llevar” in the Conditional Perfect 

• Yo habría llevado un paraguas si hubiera sabido que llovería. (I would have taken an umbrella if I had known it would rain.)
• Tú habrías llevado tu chaqueta si hubieras hecho frío. (You would have worn your jacket if it had been cold.)
• Él/Ella habría llevado a cabo el plan si hubiera tenido más tiempo. (He/She would have carried out the plan if he/she had had more time.)
• Nosotros habríamos llevado comida si hubiéramos sabido que la reunión sería larga. (We would have brought food if we had known the meeting would be long.)
• Vosotros habríais llevado los libros si hubierais ido a la biblioteca. (You would have taken the books if you had gone to the library.)
• Ellos/Ellas habrían llevado a cabo la tarea si hubieran entendido las instrucciones. (They would have carried out the task if they had understood the instructions.)

Present Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	lleve
you	tú	lleves
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	lleve
we	nosotros,nosotras	llevemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	llevéis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	lleven

When We Use The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive in Spanish, used after certain expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or influence, expresses hypothetical or uncertain actions in the present or future. 

I’m not going to delve deep into subjunctive useage in this guide. Just try to learn the conjugations for “llevar” in the subjunctive and study the example sentences below.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Present Subjunctive

• Es importante que yo lleve un paraguas por si acaso. (It’s important that I carry an umbrella just in case.)
• Deseo que tú lleves una chaqueta para protegerte del frío. (I want you to wear a jacket to protect yourself from the cold.)
• Sugiero que él lleve una botella de agua durante el viaje. (I suggest that he carries a bottle of water during the trip.)
• Quiero que nosotros llevemos comida para compartir en la fiesta. (I want us to bring food to share at the party.)
• Insisto en que vosotros llevéis zapatos cómodos para caminar. (I insist that you all wear comfortable shoes for walking.)
• Es necesario que ellos lleven una identificación válida en todo momento. (It’s necessary that they carry valid identification at all times.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	llevara, llevase
you	tú	llevaras, llevases
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	llevara, llevase
we	nosotros,nosotras	lleváramos, llevásemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	llevarais, llevaseis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	llevaran, llevasen

When We Use The Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish is used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions in the past. 

Just like the present subjunctive, it’s commonly used after certain triggers such as expressions of doubt, desire, or influence.

Examples of “Llevar” in the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Era necesario que yo llevara un paraguas en caso de lluvia. (It was necessary for me to carry an umbrella in case of rain.)
• Prefería que tú llevaras una chaqueta por si hacía frío. (I preferred that you wore a jacket in case it was cold.)
• Me gustaba que él llevara una botella de agua consigo. (I liked it when he carried a bottle of water with him.)
• Quería que nosotros lleváramos comida para compartir en la excursión. (I wanted us to bring food to share on the excursion.)
• Recomendaba que vosotros llevarais zapatos cómodos para caminar. (I recommended that you all wore comfortable shoes for walking.)
• Esperaba que ellos llevaran una identificación válida en todo momento. (I hoped that they carried valid identification at all times.)

Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’
I	yo	hubiera,hubiese	llevado
you	tú	hubieras,hubieses	llevado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	hubiera,hubiese	llevado
we	nosotros,nosotras	hubiéramos,hubiésemos	llevado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	hubierais,hubieseis	llevado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	hubieran,hubiesen	llevado

When We Use The Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

Just like the previous two subjunctive tenses listed, the preterite perfect subjunctive in Spanish is used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions. 

However, this time we use it for things that would have occurred before another past action.

Again, we form this tense with the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb. .

Examples of “Llevar” in the Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

• Si hubiera llevado un paraguas, no me habría mojado. (If I had carried an umbrella, I wouldn’t have gotten wet.)
• Si hubieras llevado una chaqueta, no habrías tenido frío. (If you had worn a jacket, you wouldn’t have been cold.)
• Si él/ella hubiera llevado una botella de agua, no habría tenido sed. (If he had carried a bottle of water, he wouldn’t have been thirsty.)
• Si nosotros hubiéramos llevado comida, no habríamos pasado hambre. (If we had brought food, we wouldn’t have been hungry.)
• Si vosotros hubierais llevado zapatos adecuados, no habríais tenido ampollas. (If you all had worn appropriate shoes, you wouldn’t have had blisters.)
• Si ellos hubieran llevado una identificación válida, no habrían tenido problemas. (If they had carried valid identification, they wouldn’t have had problems.)

Affirmative Imperative 

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡lleva!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡lleve!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡llevemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡llevad!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡lleven!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative in Spanish, also known as the command form, is used to give direct commands or orders. 

For the verb “llevar,” the affirmative imperative form is used to tell someone to carry or bring something.

This is really simple and easy to learn. Just check out the examples below. 

Examples of “Llevar” in The Affirmative Imperative

• Lleva tu paraguas contigo. (Bring your umbrella with you.)
• Llevad vuestros libros a clase. (Bring your books to class.)
• Lleve usted su tarjeta de identificación. (Bring your identification card.)
• Llevemos comida para el picnic. (Let’s bring food for the picnic.)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡no lleves!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no lleve!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no llevemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no llevéis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no lleven!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

As the name suggests, the negative imperative in Spanish is used to give direct commands or orders in the negative form, telling someone not to do something. 

So, for the verb “llevar,” the negative imperative form is used to tell someone not to carry or bring something.

In order to use “llevar” in the negative imperative form, we have to say “no” at the start of the statement, followed by the present subjunctive conjugation of “llevar”.

Examples of “Llevar” in The Negative Imperative

• No lleves tu paraguas, no va a llover. (Don’t bring your umbrella, it’s not going to rain.)
• No llevéis vuestros libros al parque, vamos a jugar. (Don’t bring your books to the park, we’re going to play.)
• No lleve usted su tarjeta de crédito, aceptamos efectivo. (Don’t bring your credit card, we accept cash.)
• No llevemos comida al cine, vamos a cenar después. (Let’s not bring food to the movies, we’ll have dinner afterwards.)

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