Mi abuela siempre lleva una nuez y una almendra en el bolso por si le entra hambre.

Here lleva means carries.

The verb llevar has several common meanings in Spanish, including:

• to carry
• to take
• to wear

In this sentence, because we are talking about something she has in her bag, the natural meaning is carries:

• Mi abuela siempre lleva una nuez y una almendra en el bolso
  = My grandmother always carries a walnut and an almond in her bag

It does not mean wears here, because food is not something you wear.

Both are possible, but siempre lleva is very natural and probably the most neutral word order here.

Spanish is often more flexible than English with adverbs like siempre. You can say:

• Mi abuela siempre lleva...
• Mi abuela lleva siempre...

But the first version sounds more natural in everyday speech.

Putting siempre before the verb often feels smoother and emphasizes the habit:

• she always carries...

Because the sentence literally means one walnut and one almond.

Spanish uses the singular here because it is referring to specific individual items:

• una nuez = a walnut
• una almendra = an almond

If she regularly carried several of each, you might say:

• nueces y almendras = walnuts and almonds
• unas nueces y unas almendras = some walnuts and some almonds

So the singular is not a grammar trick here; it is just the literal quantity.

In everyday Spanish, nuez most often means walnut.

That is why the sentence is usually translated as:

• a walnut and an almond

The general word for nut is often:

• fruto seco in more general or formal contexts

But in normal usage, nuez is usually understood as walnut, not just any nut.

Both are possible.

• en el bolso = in the bag / in her bag
• en su bolso = in her bag

Spanish often uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) where English would use a possessive like his, her, their, especially when the owner is already clear from context.

Here, since we already know we are talking about mi abuela, el bolso naturally refers to her bag.

In Spain, bolso often means a handbag / purse.

So:

• Mi abuela... en el bolso sounds completely natural.
• Mi abuela... en su bolso is also correct, but slightly more explicit.

In Spain, bolso usually means handbag or purse.

So:

• en el bolso = in her handbag / purse

Be careful not to confuse it with:

• bolsa = bag, plastic bag, shopping bag

So for a grandmother carrying food around with her, bolso strongly suggests a handbag rather than a generic bag.

Por si means in case.

So:

• por si le entra hambre
  = in case she gets hungry

This is a very common structure in Spanish:

• Lleva un paraguas por si llueve.
  = He/She takes an umbrella in case it rains.
• Te llamo por si necesitas ayuda.
  = I’m calling you in case you need help.

A useful thing to remember:

• por si expresses a precaution against a possible situation

It is not the same as plain si, which usually means if.

The le refers to mi abuela.

The expression entrarle hambre a alguien means:

• for someone to get hungry
• literally something like for hunger to come upon someone

So:

• le entra hambre = she gets hungry
• more literally = hunger comes to her

The pronoun changes depending on the person:

• me entra hambre = I get hungry
• te entra hambre = you get hungry
• le entra hambre = he/she gets hungry
• nos entra hambre = we get hungry

So the le is necessary because the expression is built that way.

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things.

• tener hambre = to be hungry
• entrarle hambre a alguien = to start feeling hungry / to get hungry

So:

• Tiene hambre = She is hungry
• Le entra hambre = She gets hungry / hunger comes on

In this sentence, por si le entra hambre fits well because it refers to a possible future moment when hunger might appear.

A very similar and very common alternative is:

• por si le da hambre

In Spain, both sound natural:

• por si le entra hambre
• por si le da hambre

Because hambre normally appears without an article in this kind of expression.

Spanish says:

• tener hambre = to be hungry
• entrar hambre = to get hungry
• dar hambre = to make someone hungry / to make someone feel hungry

So you normally say:

• Tengo hambre
• Me entra hambre
• Me da hambre

Not:

• tengo la hambre
• me entra la hambre

This is just part of the idiomatic expression.

Good question. After por si, Spanish normally uses the indicative, not the subjunctive.

So:

• por si le entra hambre is correct
• por si le entre hambre is not standard here

This is different from some other structures that express purpose or uncertainty and do use the subjunctive.

Compare:

• Lleva comida por si le entra hambre.
  = She carries food in case she gets hungry.
• Lleva comida para que no pase hambre.
  = She carries food so that she won’t go hungry.

So the key point is:

• por si
  • indicative

It is understood across the Spanish-speaking world, and it sounds natural in Spain.

In Spain, you may also hear:

• le da hambre

Both are common:

• por si le entra hambre
• por si le da hambre

The sentence you were given sounds natural in Spain, though some speakers might personally prefer le da hambre in everyday conversation.

Not naturally in this context.

• llevar focuses on having something with you / carrying it
• traer usually means to bring

Here the idea is that your grandmother habitually has these things with her in her bag, so lleva is the right choice.

Compare:

• Mi abuela siempre lleva una nuez...
  = My grandmother always carries a walnut...
• Mi abuela trae una nuez...
  would sound more like she brings a walnut, depending on where she is bringing it

So lleva is much more natural here.

Because standard modern Spanish uses the possessive directly:

• mi abuela = my grandmother

You do not normally put an article before mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc. in standard Spanish.

So:

• mi bolso
• mi madre
• mi abuela

not:

• la mi abuela
• el mi bolso

That kind of structure either sounds archaic or belongs to certain regional varieties, not standard modern Spanish.

Yes. Hambre is a feminine noun:

• mucha hambre
• terrible hambre

But when it takes a singular definite or indefinite article directly before it, Spanish uses the masculine-looking form for pronunciation:

• el hambre
• un hambre

This happens because the noun begins with a stressed a sound.

However, in your sentence there is no article at all:

• le entra hambre

So you do not see that issue here, but learners often notice it when they meet the word hambre.

You can understand it that way, but in case she gets hungry is better.

Why?

• if she gets hungry can sound like a simple condition
• in case she gets hungry shows precaution: she carries the food as preparation for that possibility

That precaution idea is exactly what por si expresses.

So the best translation is:

• in case she gets hungry