The Imperfect Tense of llevar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo llevaba la camiseta roja. (I was wearing the red shirt.)

Llevar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Llevar (to carry) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of llevar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

To carry or wear something: For example, Yo llevaba una camisa roja. (I was wearing a red shirt.)

To take or bring someone/something: For example, Ella llevaba a sus hijos al parque. (She used to take her kids to the park.)

To have been doing something for a period of time: For example, Llevábamos tres horas esperando el autobús. (We had been waiting for the bus for three hours.)

To last or continue for a period of time: For example, La fiesta llevaba toda la noche. (The party had been going on all night.)

Colloquial usage: Llevar la contraria (to be contrary or argumentative), llevar las de perder (to be at a disadvantage), llevar la batuta (to be in charge).

Examples

Examples of Llevar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo llevaba una vida muy ocupada cuando era estudiante. (I had a very busy life when I was a student.)

Ella llevaba años trabajando en esa empresa. (She had been working at that company for years.)

Mis padres llevaban una relación muy sana y respetuosa. (My parents had a very healthy and respectful relationship.)

¿Cuánto tiempo llevabas esperando en la fila? (How long had you been waiting in line?)

Ellos llevaban meses planeando sus vacaciones de verano. (They had been planning their summer vacation for months.)

Yo llevaba puesto ese sombrero desde la mañana. (I had been wearing that hat since the morning.)

¿Llevabas mucho tiempo viviendo en esa ciudad? (Had you been living in that city for a long time?)

Nosotros llevábamos una vida tranquila en el campo. (We had a quiet life in the countryside.)

Ella llevaba años practicando yoga y meditación. (She had been practicing yoga and meditation for years.)

Ellos llevaban una relación a distancia por mucho tiempo. (They had been in a long-distance relationship for a long time.)

¿Cuánto tiempo llevabas buscando trabajo? (How long had you been looking for a job?)

Yo llevaba semanas sin dormir bien por el estrés. (I had been weeks without sleeping well due to stress.)

Ellos llevaban una vida sana y activa. (They had a healthy and active lifestyle.)

¿Llevabas mucho tiempo esperando esa oportunidad? (Had you been waiting for that opportunity for a long time?)

Nosotros llevábamos años ahorrando para comprar una casa. (We had been saving for years to buy a house.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Llevar (to carry) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.