difference between usar and llevar

Question

I want to say "when you wear these I want ....

I thought it be "Cuando lleva éstos", but some translators thought it should be - "Cuando usted usa estas".

I also thought that estos was these and estas was this. Why did the translator use estas rather than estos?

Answer 1

"Llevar" means (among many other things) "to carry", and when it comes to clothes, it is like carrying clothes on top of your skin, i.e. to wear clothes.

Regarding "usar", can you not use glasses instead of wearing glasses? Think of it.

Besides, computer translators are useless.

That's true.....translators are useless. But then, why do we guide new users sometimes towards the translator?? - Seb79, Dec 14, 2010

For simple sentences, the translator is pretty good. But for slang, colloquialisms and such, it really doe not work well. - espanol5555, Dec 14, 2010

Answer 2

Cuando te pones estos is how you would phrase that sentence,When you put these on. You would only use llevar to describe someone wearing something like Lleva gafas, He/she wears glasses or Llevó un vestido de terciopelo azul, She wore a blue velvet dress. etc. and the translator is only a machine for your guidance it doesn't always do correct grammar and when you have enough experience you will be able to polish up the grammar.

Answer 3

In Spain, the use of "llevar" as a meaning of wear is totally correct. Maybe in latin america they use "usar" instead. I would use "usar" when it carries a reason or an explanation with it.

Usé unas botas para protegerme de la lluvia. Usé una bufanda para protegerme del frío Usó un jersey rojo para llamar la atención

but

La novia llevaba un vestido muy bonito (never would use usar) Llevaba unos pantalones verdes (if you had used "usaba", people would ask you: Para qué los usaba?")