The Spanish verb ‘llevar’ is very versatile and it has a wide-range of meanings including “to take” or “to carry”. It is also used in several idiomatic phrases or popular expressions; let’s take a look!
- Comida para llevar = take out food
- Dejarse llevar por algo/alguien = to get carried away by something/someone
- Llevar a alguien frito = to annoy someone constantly, to wear someone out
- Llevar a caballito = to give a piggyback ride / to carry someone on your shoulders
- Llevar a cabo = to carry out something
- Llevar a cuestas = to carry the weight/load, to bear responsability
- Llevar a error = to mislead or confuse someone
- Llevar a juicio / a los tribunales = to take someone to court
- Llevar a la gran pantalla = to turn a story/book/song/play into a movie
- Llevar a la ruina = to lead someone to ruin
- Llevar a mal = to be offended by someone
- Llevar a término = to carry out, to carry to term
- Llevar al matadero = (metaphorical) to lead to the slaughter, to put someone in danger
- Llevar al éxito = to lead to success, victory
- Llevar al límite = to take / push to the edge, to the limit
- Llevar algo en la sangre / las venas = (metaphorical) to have something in your blood/veins
- Llevar bien los años = to look younger than your age
- Llevar cuenta = to keep track of something
- Llevar el demonio / diablo = (metaphorical) to be foaming at the mouth
- Llevar en brazos = to carry someone/something in your arms
- Llevar en el corazón = have a soft spot for someone/something, to have fond memories
- Llevar la batuta = to take the lead, to call the shots
- Llevar la corriente a alguien = to humor someone
- Llevar la delantera = to take the lead, to be ahead of something
- Llevar la voz cantante = to take the lead, to have the final say
- Llevar las de perder = to stand to lose, to be in a precarious position
- Llevar las riendas = to take the lead, to call the shots
- Llevar los pantalones = (metaphorical) to call the shots, to have the final say
- Llevar por mal camino = to lead someone down the wrong path, to lead astray
- Llevar prisa = to be in a hurry, in a rush
- Llevar tiempo = to take time
- Llevar ventaja = to have a head start on something, to have an advantage
- No llevar a ninguna parte = to lead nowhere, to be a dead end