Log inSign up

La orquesta lleva un mes ensayando para el concierto.

La orquesta lleva un mes ensayando para el concierto.
The orchestra has been rehearsing for the concert for a month.
From Lesson 208:Ongoing duration (llevar)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about La orquesta lleva un mes ensayando para el concierto.

Why use lleva un mes ensayando instead of a literal translation like ha estado ensayando por un mes?
While ha estado ensayando is grammatically correct, Spanish speakers strongly prefer the structure llevar plus an amount of time plus a gerund to talk about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. It is the most natural way to say someone has been doing something for a specific duration.
Notice how un mes is placed between lleva and ensayando. Is this word order required?
Yes, this is the standard pattern. Unlike English where the time usually goes at the end of the sentence, the structure llevar plus an amount of time plus a gerund keeps the duration tucked right after the conjugated verb llevar.
Why do we use para instead of por before el concierto?
We use para here because it expresses a purpose or a goal. The orchestra is rehearsing specifically in preparation for the upcoming concert. If you used por, it would focus on the cause rather than the goal.
In English, collective words like orchestra are sometimes treated as plural. Can I do that in Spanish with la orquesta?
No, in Spanish, collective nouns like la orquesta, la familia, or la gente are strictly treated as grammatically singular. That is why the sentence uses the singular verb lleva instead of the plural llevan.

Learn La orquesta lleva un mes ensayando para el concierto and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →