Llevar vs Traer

Question 1

I hope you bring (subjunctive) the book today. (I hope that you bring [subjunctive] the book here today; ‘Espero que’ triggers subjunctive)

Answer 1

Espero que traigas el libro hoy. (Traer = towards the speaker).

Question 2

My husband took her home. (My husband took/carried her to the house; ‘Llevar’ is used because they moved from school to home)

Answer 2

Mi esposo la llevó a casa. (Llevar = moving away from the origin).

Question 3

I already brought her, and she is resting. (Already her I brought [past] and she is resting; ‘Traer’ is used because the speaker is now at the destination: home)

Answer 3

Ya la traje y está descansando. (Traje = irregular past of traer).

Question 4

Will you take her or should I? (Her you take or her take I? In Mexico, ‘llevar’ is used for driving someone somewhere)

Answer 4

¿La llevas tú o la llevo yo? (Llevar = to transport someone ‘away’ to the dentist).

Question 5

I brought you a surprise! (To you I brought a surprise! Used when the person has just arrived with the object)

Answer 5

¡Te traje una sorpresa! (Traer = the object arrived with the person).

Question 6

What can I bring you for the pain? (What to you I bring? Present tense used as ‘What shall I bring’)

Answer 6

¿Qué te traigo para el dolor? (Traer = I will bring it from the kitchen to ‘here’ where you are).

Question 7

I’m going to bring you a tea. (To you I go to bring a tea; ‘ir a + infinitive’ is very common for near future)

Answer 7

Te voy a traer un té. (Traer = the tea will arrive where the daughter is).

Question 8

Did you bring your book from school? (You brought your book? Checking if an object was moved to the current location)

Answer 8

¿Trajiste tu libro de la escuela? (Traer = coming from school to ‘here’).

Question 9

I took the heating pad to her room. (I took/carried the pad to her room; Moving from the kitchen to the room)

Answer 9

Le llevé la almohadilla a su cuarto. (Llevar = moving away from the speaker’s current spot).

Question 10

I brought you the ice and a towel. (To you I brought the ice and a towel; The speaker has arrived at the daughter’s side)

Answer 10

Te traje el hielo y una toalla. (Traer = the speaker is now ‘here’ with the items).

Question 11

My husband will take her to the dentist in a little bit. (My husband her will take [future] to the dentist in a bit)

Answer 11

Al rato mi esposo la llevará al dentista. (‘Al rato’ is the Mexican way to say ‘in a little bit’).

Question 12

When he brings her back, I’ll see how she is. (When he her brings [subjunctive], I will see how she stays; ‘Cuando’ + future idea triggers subjunctive)

Answer 12

Cuando la traiga, veré cómo sigue. (Traiga = subjunctive because it hasn’t happened yet).

Question 13

I brought my homework that I brought from school. (I brought [past] my homework that I brought [past] from school)

Answer 13

Traje mi tarea que traje de la escuela. (Double ‘traje’ because both involve moving things ‘here’).

Question 14

Should we bring her medicine to the school? (Should we carry/take to her medicine to the school? Moving away from home to the school)

Answer 14

¿Le llevamos medicina a la escuela? (Llevar = destination is elsewhere).

Question 15

I forgot to bring the book yesterday. (To me it was forgotten to bring the book yesterday; Use ‘se me olvidó’)

Answer 15

Se me olvidó traer el libro ayer. (‘Se me olvidó’ is the most natural way to say ‘I forgot’ in Mexico).

Question 16

Maybe he will take her in his car. (Maybe he her takes in his car; Use ‘A lo mejor’ to avoid subjunctive)

Answer 16

A lo mejor la lleva en su coche. (‘Coche’ is the standard word for car in Central Mexico).

Question 17

I want to take some flowers to her later. (To her I want to take/carry some flowers later)

Answer 17

Le quiero llevar unas flores más tarde. (Llevar = destination is her room/hospital).

Question 18

Can you bring me the bill when you bring the coffee? (To me you bring the bill when you bring [subjunctive] the coffee)

Answer 18

¿Me traes la cuenta cuando me traigas el café? (Traer = both items come to ‘my’ table).

Question 19

It’s important that you take the keys with you. (It is important that you take [subjunctive] the keys with you)

Answer 19

Es importante que te lleves las llaves. (Llevarse = to take something away with oneself).

Question 20

She brought many gifts from the preschool. (She brought many gifts from the ‘kínder’; In Mexico, preschool is often called ‘el kínder’)

Answer 20

Trajo muchos regalitos del kínder. (Trajo = past tense of traer).