llevar a cabo
verbCEFR B1
What does “llevar a cabo” mean in English?
to carry out, to accomplish
to carry out, to accomplish (formal: llevar a cabo + noun — project, plan, investigation)
Example sentences
El ayuntamiento logró llevar a cabo la reforma del parque a pesar de los recortes presupuestarios del año pasado.
The town council managed to carry out the renovation of the park despite last year's budget cuts.
Para llevar a cabo este experimento con éxito, necesitaremos equipos especializados y al menos seis meses de trabajo continuo.
To carry out this experiment successfully, we will need specialist equipment and at least six months of continuous work.
El proyecto se llevó a cabo gracias al apoyo de tres universidades que colaboraron durante casi dos años.
The project was carried out thanks to the support of three universities that collaborated for almost two years.
How to use it
Llevar a cabo means 'to carry out', 'to carry through', or 'to accomplish'. It is a formal idiom used for completing plans, projects, studies, and operations. It is transitive: you llevar a cabo something. The object follows directly: llevar a cabo el proyecto, llevar a cabo una investigación, llevar a cabo los cambios. It does not require a reflexive and does not change its internal form. In written and formal contexts it is preferred over hacer (too vague) or ejecutar (technical/legal). In informal speech, native speakers more often say hacer or sacar adelante.
Common mistake
The internal phrase cabo must not be modified — llevar a buen cabo is non-standard; say llevar a cabo con éxito or culminar con éxito instead. Llevar a cabo should not be confused with llevar + gerund (llevar trabajando = to have been working for). Also note the idiom holds its form even when the main verb changes tense: llevó a cabo, lleva a cabo, ha llevado a cabo.