The Present Tense of levantar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions. For example, Ella levanta la caja. (She lifts the box.)

Levantar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Levantar (to lift) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Levantar generally means to lift, raise or pick up, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To lift or raise: for example, Levanto la caja del suelo (I lift the box from the floor).

To get up: for example, Me levanto temprano (I get up early).

To build or construct: for example, Levantamos una casa nueva (We build a new house).

To pick up or collect: for example, Levanto las llaves que se me cayeron (I pick up the keys that I dropped).

To start or initiate: for example, Levantamos un negocio familiar (We start a family business).

To make someone get up (colloquial): for example, ¡Levántate, flojo! (Get up, lazy one!).

To attract or seduce (colloquial): for example, Juan levanta a todas las chicas (Juan attracts all the girls).

Examples

Examples of Levantar in the Present Tense

Yo levanto pesas tres veces por semana para mantenerme en forma. (I lift weights three times a week to stay in shape.)

Mi hermana levanta la mano cada vez que el profesor hace una pregunta. (My sister raises her hand every time the teacher asks a question.)

¿Puedes levantar esa caja pesada? (Can you lift that heavy box?)

Los trabajadores de la construcción levantan los muros de ladrillos con mucho cuidado. (The construction workers carefully raise the brick walls.)

Cada mañana, levantamos las persianas para dejar entrar la luz del sol. (Every morning, we raise the blinds to let the sunlight in.)

Los manifestantes levantan carteles con sus demandas durante la protesta. (The protesters raise signs with their demands during the demonstration.)

El entrenador levanta los brazos en señal de victoria después de que el equipo gana el partido. (The coach raises his arms in a victory signal after the team wins the game.)

Cuando el mesero levanta los platos vacíos, es una señal de que hemos terminado de comer. (When the waiter clears the empty plates, it’s a sign that we’ve finished eating.)

Los niños levantan un fuerte de almohadas en la sala de estar para jugar. (The kids build a pillow fort in the living room to play.)

Cada vez que suena el teléfono, mi perro levanta las orejas con atención. (Every time the phone rings, my dog perks up his ears attentively.)

El jefe de cocina levanta la voz para dar instrucciones a su equipo durante el servicio. (The head chef raises his voice to give instructions to his team during service.)

Después de una larga jornada de trabajo, levantamos el campamento y continuamos nuestra caminata. (After a long day of work, we break camp and continue our hike.)

Los estudiantes levantan la mano para pedir permiso antes de hablar en clase. (The students raise their hands to ask for permission before speaking in class.)

Los manifestantes levantan sus voces en protesta contra las injusticias sociales. (The protesters raise their voices in protest against social injustices.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Levantar (to lift) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.