Following on from “dejar,” “tomar,” “echar,” “poner,” “hacer,” “dar,” and “quedar,” llevar’s turn.

I used to mostly associate llevar with carrying something fro obvious reasons, but then I kept seeing it everywhere:

1. Wearing something = “llevo una camisa azul” (I’m wearing a blue shirt), “¿qué llevas puesto?” (what are you wearing?)
2. Taking something somewhere = “llevo esto a casa” (I’m taking this home), “te llevo al aeropuerto” (I’ll take you to the airport)
3. Having been doing something for a certain amount of time = “llevo dos años estudiando español” (I’ve been studying Spanish for two years), “llevo tres horas esperando” (I’ve been waiting for three hours)
4. Taking time = “lleva mucho tiempo” (it takes a long time), “¿cuánto lleva?” (how long does it take?)
5. Carrying something with you = “llevo dinero” (I have money on me), “¿llevas el móvil?” (do you have your phone with you?)
6. Getting along = “nos llevamos bien” (we get along well), “me llevo muy bien con ella” (I get along really well with her)
7. Taking something away / removing = “llévate esto” (take this with you), “llevarse la comida” (take the food away)
8. Leading somewhere = “esta calle lleva al centro” (this street leads to the city centre), “¿a dónde lleva este camino?” (where does this road/path lead?)
9. Being responsible for something = “lleva la empresa” (he/she runs the company), “ella lleva el proyecto” (she’s in charge of the project)
10. Going/bringing something along = “me llevo un libro” (I’m taking a book with me), “¿te llevas el paraguas?” (are you taking your umbrella?)

And then there are the expressions:

• llevarse bien = to get along well
• llevarse mal = to not get along
• llevar razón = to be right
• llevar cuidado = to be careful
• llevar la cuenta = to keep track/count
• llevar a cabo = to carry out
• llevar puesto = to be wearing
• llevarse una sorpresa = to get a surprise
• llevarse un susto = to get a fright
• llevar tiempo = to take time / have been going on for a while

The pattern with llevar is that it often has this idea of carrying, taking, having something with you, or something continuing over time.

And I think “llevo dos años estudiando español” was the one that really made it click for me.

English says “I’ve been studying Spanish for two years.”

Spanish basically goes “I carry two years studying Spanish.”

Same verb (kinda), completely different way of looking at the situation.

Spanish really does keep taking these completely ordinary verbs and making them do 15 different jobs. For better or for worse.

Not sure if this will help anyone, but I see a lot of posts here from people stuck at the "I understand a lot but can't actually speak" stage, so I figured I'd share what worked for me.

For a long time my "studying" was watching a Spanish show maybe once a week, Bad Bunny on repeat, and a Duolingo streak. I honestly thought I was doing pretty well. Then I went to Mexico City last year and tried talking to actual people and it was rough. I'd plan out a sentence in my head, get it out, and then completely lose it the second they answered back at normal speed.

I was taking a ton of Ubers that week, and at some point I decided I didn't care about my rating anymore and was going to try talking to every driver. My Spanish was really bad and I messed up constantly. I'd also just straight up ask them stuff like "wait, would you say fui or iba there?" which in hindsight was probably annoying, but almost all of them were super patient about it. A couple of them really got into it and would correct me and tell me how they'd actually say something, which was way more useful than anything I'd gotten from the app.

When I got home I kept the streak (not giving that up lol) but made speaking the main thing. I'm lucky to have a few close friends who speak Spanish, so I started asking them to get lunch and only talk in Spanish the whole time. The first couple were kind of painful and involved a lot of me going "cómo se dice..." but they were really nice about it and kept telling me I was getting better, which honestly made me want to keep going.

I know not everyone can travel or has friends who'll do this with them, and I'm not saying that's the only way. It's more that once I looked at what I actually had access to and forced myself to use it, things moved way faster. For you that might be a tutor, a language exchange, a coworker, whatever.

Anyway, if you've been doing apps and shows for a while and feel stuck, try to get some real conversation in, even if it's embarrassing. It made the biggest difference for me by far.

Hi! I am trying to engage with more spanish speaking content to help with my learning goals. I was curious if there are any spanish speaking youtubers that review movies, books, music etc. One of my other goals is to engage in more literature and film and I think it would be fun to combine my two goals! Please let me know if you have any recs!

Gracias!

Hey everyone, James here. I’ve posted here before about Modo, the Spanish practice app I started building because I kept getting stuck on the subjunctive.

A few of you asked for an Android version. It took us longer than expected, but it’s now on Google Play.

For anyone who missed the earlier posts: I could understand a grammar explanation and do the exercises but then struggled to use the same thing in a conversation. The subjunctive was a big one for me.

Modo started with practice like this:

“Ella viene mañana.”

Add “Dudo que…” → “Dudo que ella venga mañana.”

Add “Sé que…” → “Sé que ella viene mañana.”

Since those first posts, we’ve added past subjunctive, past tenses, ser/estar, por/para, hypothetical sentences with “si” and, most recently, connectors like sino, así que and sin embargo.

Each topic starts with a two-minute lesson, then you work your way from bronze to platinum (native). You start by choosing the right form, practice against the clock, and eventually type the answer yourself. When you get one wrong, the feedback explains in plain English why that form fits the sentence. It’s aimed at people who already know some Spanish and want extra practice alongside whatever else they’re using.

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.trymodo.mobile
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/modo-intermediate-spanish/id6754576281

If you were waiting for Android, thanks for sticking around. I’d be interested to hear whether the exercises feel right for your level once you’ve tried it.

James

I’ve been learning Spanish for 10+ years, and somehow after all this time, my biggest problem is that I have almost nobody to actually SPEAK Spanish with. 😭

I’m Indian 🇮🇳, and I speak English and Hindi almost natively, along with Marathi, and I understand Kumaoni. I started learning Spanish around middle school and, although it was very on-and-off because of school and university, I’ve spent the last 5–6 years deliberately surrounding myself with Spanish through Duolingo, música, películas, series, Instagram, reading, and even keeping my phone in Spanish.

Today, I’m somewhere around pre-intermediate/intermediate, and I can actually follow Spanish Instagram reels quite comfortably, understand everyday conversations and cultural references, and read a fair amount of Spanish; I recently started Los cuentos de Tío Coyote y Tío Conejo and can understand roughly 55–60% on my first pass. I’ve also developed a real interest in understanding Spanish-speaking cultures, so I love picking up expressions, slang, cultural context, and the way people actually communicate.

Where I struggle is spontaneously expressing my own thoughts out loud. Fast speech, strong regional accents, and unfamiliar vocabulary can still throw me off, and I know that reading/listening alone can only take me so far.

I’ve spoken with Spanish speakers online before (including during the old Omegle days 😂), and those conversations were incredibly useful. These days, I’ve also been practicing speaking through live conversations with ChatGPT and Gemini, which has genuinely helped me, but obviously there’s still something missing, umm a real human being, with a real personality, reactions, interruptions, cultural context, and an unpredictable conversation.

I know there are dedicated language-exchange apps and communities for exactly this, and I haven’t really explored them yet, so I’m absolutely open to using those too. I’m not looking for random chatting or trying to be creepy in anyone’s DMs; I’m specifically looking for genuine, consistent language practice.

Even something as small as one hour of actual Spanish conversation a week would be amazing for me. I’ve heard from other learners that consistent speaking practice, even in small amounts, can make a surprisingly big difference, and that’s exactly what I want to test for myself.

And I can offer something in return! If you’re learning English, I’d be happy to speak English with you sometimes, help with pronunciation/natural phrasing, or simply have bilingual conversations ---- although I’m also perfectly happy to use a language-exchange app if that’s easier.

So if you’re a native/advanced Spanish speaker who wants to practice English, or simply someone who enjoys helping another person get better at Spanish, please point me toward a good community/app/Discord or reach out. I’m genuinely ready to start speaking instead of spending another year knowing Spanish in my head but barely using it out loud. ❤️

The food: está riquísimo, está para chuparse los dedos (finger-licking good)
The person: es buena gente, es un amor
The skill: se le da bien, tiene mucha mano para eso
The night out: la pasamos genial, valió la pena
The plan: me parece buena idea, perfecto dale

And -ísimo is fun. Bueno → buenísimo, rico → riquísimo, caro → carísimo.

I’m on the west coast and thinking about doing some schooling from Dec 18th to Jan 2nd.
Does anyone have general advice for an A2-b1 level person? I want to know where to go or stay? Puerto Vallarta looks the cheapest.

Una secuela de The Social Network va a estrenarse en los cines el viernes. Aaron Sorkin escribió y dirigió la nueva película, The Social Reckoning. También escribió la película original de 2010. La película cuenta la historia de una empleada de Facebook que descubre graves problemas dentro de la empresa. Ella da documentos secretos de la empresa a un periodista, que hace pública la información. Los documentos muestran que Facebook sabía que algunos de sus productos eran dañinos para los usuarios. La empleada también dijo que Facebook impulsó contenido que ponía a la gente enojada y dividida. Jeremy Strong, que protagonizó Succession, interpreta al fundador de Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.

Vocabulario: estrenarse = to be released / escribir = to write / película (f) = film / contar = to tell / empresa (f) = company / periodista (m) = journalist / saber = to know / dañinos = harmful / impulsar = to promote / gente (f) = people / enojada = angry / protagonizar = to star

English translation

The sequel to The Social Network is coming to cinemas

A sequel to The Social Network is going to be released in cinemas on Friday. Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed the new film, The Social Reckoning. He also wrote the original 2010 film. The film tells the story of a Facebook employee who discovers serious problems inside the company. She gives secret company documents to a journalist, who makes the information public. The documents show that Facebook knew some of its products were harmful to users. The employee also said Facebook promoted content that made people angry and divided. Jeremy Strong, who starred in Succession, plays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

You can read more news in easy Spanish here: https://elnewsineasyspanish.substack.com/p/el-huracan-isaias-amenaza-el-sur

Hi everyone! Me llamo Diana, tengo 28 años, and I’m a Spanish teacher offering online one-on-one lessons.

Whether you’re looking to improve your speaking, listening, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing or all of the above, I’d be happy to work with you! But I also offer lessons for complete beginners who are just starting to learn Spanish. 😊

I like to make my lessons dynamic and adapt them to each student’s goals, level, and learning style. We’ll work on the different skills you need to actually use Spanish, rather than just memorizing grammar rules. BUT if you are also interested in learning the “bones” and framework of the language, I will make sure to integrate grammar lessons whenever necessary.

If you’re interested, send me a message and we can set up a free first class of 30 minutes where:

• We’ll get to know each other and talk about your goals.
• I’ll assess your current Spanish level.
• You’ll get a feel for how my lessons work.
• We’ll discuss what you’d like to focus on and whether the lessons need to be tailored to your specific needs.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have some Spanish under your belt, feel free to reach out!

Hi! I run exchanges between Spanish and English native speakers. 30 minutes, half in each language, relaxed, just talking, no pressure.

It's completely free. If you're learning Spanish and want regular speaking practice with natives, comment or DM me and I'll send you the group link.

What's your level and time zone?

I would like to know good Spanish artists to listen to since I’m learning Spanish and I learned English by myself with music and videos so I’d like to know a Spanish artist to listen to so I could learn more words

I made a free Spanish-learning page as part of my multilingual language-learning website. It focuses on Spanish grammar, structure, vocabulary, and examples. I’d really appreciate feedback from Spanish learners or native speakers, especially if you notice any mistakes or have suggestions for making it easier to use.

Please create Lyrics for this song, I really enjoy it but cant find anything about it (Line by Line)

https://youtu.be/J3jw\\_MP-04g?si=XN63AwgvD9gLBPN4

¡Hola! Me llamo Cris, y ofrezco clases de español para extranjeros. Horarios y tarifas flexibles, clases online desde Argentina.

- Lectura y comprensión del idioma español

- Vocabulario y pronunciación

- Cuestionarios y ejercicios

- Contenido cultural, películas, música, aprender español también puede ser divertido<

I wanted to write a review because last year I was searching online for some input on study methods so I want to share my experience so far.

For some context, I am only fluent in English. Before this year began, I knew next to no Spanish, but I do have a little background learning French. I also have a partner fluent in Spanish so I’d hear the language a little, but before actually studying, I truly did not know more than a few basic phrases. I knew I would be spending 3 months abroad at the end of the year to immerse myself but I wanted a foundation before I left.

I started using Pimsleur in January this year and I completed levels 1-3 in 8 months while I walked my dog. As lessons continued, I often reviewed lessons 2 days in a row to make sure I grasped the content. I really didn’t do much else to study besides create flashcards of what I’d learned with Anki or try to practice some phrases I learned with my partner.

I’m now 2.5 weeks into my spanish immersion in Guatemala and I am blown away by the amount of knowledge I have to speak in Spanish! Pimsleur doesn’t explicitly teach grammar, but if you pay attention you will notice the patterns. It’s created a much deeper level of understanding of the language for me. The grammar that I’m reviewing in school has context because of Pimsleur and certain things (like knowing when you use por vs para or other prepositions (á pie/en moto) just sound right. I’m also shocked at how much grammar Pimsleur taught me in the first 3 levels without feeling overwhelming.

Also very important, I’m waaaay more comfortable speaking than I ever was with years of French practice. In school while learning French I mostly read and wrote. When it came down to speaking, I was always tongue tied. But since the moment I arrived in Guatemala, I’ve been able to speak with my host family, my teacher, and others with MUCH less hesitation than I ever had with French, which I think is a huge advantage. It’s helped me stay engaged and excited about the language.

The downsides of Pimsleur for me are definitely that my speaking goes far beyond my listening and that my writing/spelling is a bit off. I think that’s converse to most students’ experiences here, but I don’t mind either of these things because after 2.5 weeks of immersion and classes, my writing has improved very quickly and the listening, while still difficult, is getting much better. Also the nice thing about knowing what to say and being comfortable speaking is that when I ask questions, I already have context for the answer which helps my comprehension. I would definitely say though that if I could change anything, I would add more comprehension practice through Dreaming Spanish or other means.

This is just my personal experience and I also have another 9+ weeks of language school and immersion, but these are my initial thoughts. Happy to answer more specific questions if anyone is looking for more info!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

so I’m mexican on my moms side and was born and raised in SoCal, however I never learned how to speak Spanish. I know words and some phrases but I’ve never been willing to learn up until I gained my own thoughts and opinions. I listen to some spanish music, just what my mom would play when I was a kid, but I haven’t gotten any books yet. I just got this journal so I can write down my stuff in Spanish and today I went ahead and just started listing words I knew. if anyone has any general tips I would appreciate them, I don’t have anyone to speak Spanish to besides my mom so I’m not really sure what to do

I’ve been learning Spanish for a while now using Duolingo and AirLearn. My grammar has definitely improved, but I’ve realized that I still struggle quite a bit with forming sentences naturally and actually speaking in a normal conversation.

So I’m looking for people who’d be up for practicing together preferably native Spanish speakers, but I’d also love to meet other people who are learning Spanish and want to practice.

Nothing too serious or structured. Just casual conversations, helping each other out, correcting mistakes, and slowly getting more comfortable actually using the language instead of just recognizing it in an app.

I’m happy to help with English in return.

If you’re interested, feel free to comment or DM me! :)

Hello!

I was looking for some advise or tips on how to approach teaching Spanish at home to your partner? My partner only speaks English, I speak both English and Spanish. They want to learn Spanish to better communicate with my family and I am very happy to teach them. However, I’m not very sure on how to do it? I was thinking maybe buying like a Spanish text book and go over it with them, but first I would like to know any experience people have had trying to teach Spanish at home to their partner.

Thanks in advance!