Hagas lo que hagas, no te desanimes; aprender un idioma lleva tiempo.

This is a very common Spanish pattern:

• hagas lo que hagas
• digas lo que digas
• vayas donde vayas
• pase lo que pase

It means whatever you do / say / wherever you go / whatever happens.

So hagas appears twice because Spanish builds this idea with:

• a verb in the subjunctive
• a linker such as lo que, donde, quien, etc.
• the same verb again

Literally, Hagas lo que hagas is something like Do whatever you do, but in natural English it means Whatever you do.

Here, lo que means what or whatever.

A useful way to think about it:

• que = that / what
• lo = a neutral article, often used to turn something into the thing that or what

So:

• lo que dices = what you say
• lo que quieras = whatever you want
• hagas lo que hagas = whatever you do

In this sentence, lo que helps create that whatever... meaning.

Because this kind of expression uses the present subjunctive in Spanish.

Hagas lo que hagas is not talking about one specific action that is definitely happening right now. It expresses an open, non-specific idea: no matter what you do.

That is why Spanish uses the subjunctive in patterns like:

• Hagas lo que hagas = whatever you do
• Digas lo que digas = whatever you say
• Sea como sea = be that as it may / however it may be

So hagas is the subjunctive form of hacer for tú.

Because this is a negative command: don’t get discouraged.

In Spanish, negative commands for tú use the present subjunctive:

• No hables
• No comas
• No vivas
• No te desanimes

So:

• te desanimas = you get discouraged / you are getting discouraged
• no te desanimes = don’t get discouraged

That is why you see the subjunctive form here again.

Te is the reflexive pronoun for tú.

The verb here is desanimarse, which means to get discouraged, to lose heart, or to become disheartened.

So:

• desanimar a alguien = to discourage someone
• desanimarse = to become discouraged

Examples:

• Eso me desanima = That discourages me
• No te desanimes = Don’t get discouraged

The te matches the person being spoken to: you.

Because in Spanish, an infinitive can act like a noun or a whole idea.

Here, aprender un idioma means learning a language. It functions as the subject of the sentence:

• Aprender un idioma lleva tiempo
• Learning a language takes time

This is very normal in Spanish. Compare:

• Fumar es malo = Smoking is bad
• Viajar abre la mente = Travelling opens the mind
• Aprender un idioma lleva tiempo = Learning a language takes time

So aprender is not unconjugated by mistake; it is being used as the subject.

Yes, llevar very often means to carry, to wear, or to take in the physical sense, but it also has a broader meaning: to take up, to require, or to involve.

So:

• Llevar tiempo = to take time
• Llevar esfuerzo = to take effort
• Llevar paciencia = to require patience

In this sentence:

• Aprender un idioma lleva tiempo = Learning a language takes time

This is a very natural way to say it in Spanish.

Because the subject is the whole infinitive phrase aprender un idioma, and that is treated as a singular idea.

So although the phrase contains several words, grammatically it works as one thing:

• Aprender un idioma = one activity / one concept

That is why Spanish uses:

• lleva and not llevan

Compare:

• Estudiar cuesta esfuerzo = Studying takes effort
• Dormir bien ayuda mucho = Sleeping well helps a lot

Yes. Both hagas and no te desanimes are addressing tú.

Here are the equivalent versions:

• tú: Hagas lo que hagas, no te desanimes
• usted: Haga lo que haga, no se desanime
• vosotros: Hagáis lo que hagáis, no os desaniméis
• ustedes: Hagan lo que hagan, no se desanimen

Since you asked for Spanish from Spain, vosotros is especially relevant in everyday speech.

The semicolon links two closely related complete ideas:

• Hagas lo que hagas, no te desanimes
• aprender un idioma lleva tiempo

It shows a stronger break than a comma, but a closer connection than a full stop.

You could also write it with a full stop:

• Hagas lo que hagas, no te desanimes. Aprender un idioma lleva tiempo.

That would also be correct. The semicolon simply gives it a slightly more polished, written feel.

Yes, in many contexts you could.

• idioma = language
• lengua = language, tongue

In this sentence, idioma sounds very natural and is probably the most neutral choice for a language in the sense of a foreign language or language-learning.

So:

• Aprender un idioma lleva tiempo = very natural
• Aprender una lengua lleva tiempo = also possible, but a bit less usual in everyday learner-oriented phrasing

Both are correct; idioma is just the more expected word here.