Question about "llevas"

Question

1. ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aquí? (How long have you been here?)

2. ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas estudiando español?(How long have you learned Spanish?)

Since "llevar" means "to take, to carry, to wear", I just can't realize why "llevar" can be used in the above two sentences?

Answer 1

Hi Joy

As rogspax says it just one of the ways that the Spanish use this verb. Another verb with just as many uses is "quedar". Look at my example below,

¿En que quedamos? - What's the arrangement then?

You just have to learn the different uses.

In fact, Quedar may be even worse. Oops, I meant, even more flexible. - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013

Answer 2

Hola Joy,

Llevar is one of those verbs worth really looking over. Look at the SD entries here, and over at Wordreference.com and maybe linguee.com.

Besides, take, carry, and wear, it seems to get used for Many other things, including time, most of which aren´t very literal. It´s like the swiss-army-knife of Spanish verbs.

Buena suerte.

It appears to have as many blades as "quedar". - Eddy, Feb 1, 2013

YeS! Eso! I was thinking, as I was typing that earlier, that there was another one I should mention, but couldn´t think of it at that second. Sí. Quedar. Eso es! - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013

Answer 3

The literal translation is "How much time have you taken--"

Answer 4

llevas estudiando

"Llevar + gerund" is used to express that the action reflected by the gerund has been going on continuously.

There are a few verbs like llevar, which can be followed by a gerund, I recall seguir is another one.