Nothing is more confusing for the beginner student of a language than words that look similar. Over the years I have seen students struggle with remembering the following verbs simply because they are common and all begin with a double ‘l’ combination. Below is a complete list of these verbs along with some examples sentences.
1. llegar: to arrive
We are arriving at 5 o’clock.
Llegamos a las cinco de la tarde.
2. llevar: to bring someone somewhere, to wear
I am bringing my father to the airport.
Llevo a mi padre al aeropuerto.
I am wearing my new hat today.
Llevo mi nuevo sombrero hoy.
Note: llevar can also be used in an idiomatic sense to express a length of time
How many years have you been in Canada?
¿Cuántos años llevas en Canadá?
3. llover: to rain (Note: stem-change verb, only used in the third person singular)
It is raining a lot today.
Llueve mucho hoy.
4. llamar: to call (Note: this verb can also be used reflexively to express your name)
I am calling my brother.
Llamo a mi hermano.
He is called Robert.
Él se llama Roberto.
5. llorar: to cry
Amanda cries a lot.
Amanda llora mucho.
6. llenar: to fill (up)
She is filling up the bathtub with water.
Ella llena la bañera con agua.
