llevar (portar)
verbCEFR B2High frequency
What does “llevar (portar)” mean in English?
to carry, to transport
to carry, to transport (llevar + noun — away from speaker; also: wear clothing)
Example sentences
Los voluntarios llevaron cajas de agua y alimentos a los barrios más afectados por el temporal.
The volunteers carried boxes of water and food to the neighbourhoods most affected by the storm.
El acusado llevaba una cantidad considerable de efectivo cuando fue detenido en el aeropuerto.
The accused was carrying a considerable amount of cash when he was detained at the airport.
Las reformas llevan consigo una serie de obligaciones que las empresas deberán asumir.
The reforms carry with them a series of obligations that companies will have to take on.
How to use it
Llevar (in the sense of 'carry' or 'bear') means to carry or transport something from one place to another, or to have/carry something on one's person. Key distinction from traer: llevar expresses movement away from the speaker's reference point, while traer expresses movement towards the speaker. Llevar also appears in critical figurative collocations at B2: llevar a cabo (carry out), llevar la contraria (contradict), llevar consigo (entail/bring with it). Here the focus is on the physical/tangible carrying sense: llevar algo en la mano, llevar pancartas, llevar peso.
Common mistake
Llevar vs. traer: llevar = take/carry away from speaker; traer = bring/carry towards speaker. English uses 'bring' and 'take' the same way, so this is a key Spanish-specific distinction. Also: 'wear' in English (carry on one's body as clothing) = llevar in Spanish: 'lleva un abrigo azul' (she's wearing a blue coat). Don't use portar for everyday carrying — portar is formal and often implies weapons or official items (portar armas — to bear arms).