Expressing Duration with "Llevar"
When you want to talk about how long an ongoing action has been happening—like how long you've been practicing a hobby—English uses "have been doing". In Spanish, we use a simpler structure with the verb llevar.
| to have been (doing) for a time | llevar |
To express this, use a present tense conjugation of llevar, followed by the amount of time, and then the gerund (the -ando or -iendo form) of the action verb.
llevar + [amount of time] + gerund
| I have been studying at the academy for a year. | Llevo un año estudiando en la academia. |
| She has been perfecting her technique for two semesters. | Ella lleva dos semestres perfeccionando su técnica. |
Using "Llevar" with Different Subjects
Because llevar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, simply conjugate it to match whoever is doing the activity.
| You have been playing the guitar for five years. | Ustedes llevan cinco años tocando la guitarra. |
Asking Questions and General Time
You don't always have to state an exact number of months or years. You can use phrases like mucho tiempo (a long time), or ask questions using cuánto tiempo (how much time).
| We have been trying to perfect this project for a long time. | Llevamos mucho tiempo intentando perfeccionar este proyecto. |
| How much time have you been studying the theory of art? | ¿Cuánto tiempo llevan ustedes estudiando la teoría del arte? |
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