Learn Spanish (Spain): Llevo un mes sin subir a la noria. - I haven't gone on the Ferris wheel for a month.

Llevo un mes sin subir a la noria.

I haven't gone on the Ferris wheel for a month.

Breakdown of Llevo un mes sin subir a la noria.

Questions & Answers about Llevo un mes sin subir a la noria.

Why does this sentence use llevo instead of a past tense to say "I haven't gone"?

The verb llevar (usually "to carry") is used here in a very common time expression. The structure llevar + [amount of time] + sin + [infinitive verb] literally means "to carry [time] without doing [action]". It is the most natural way in Spanish to say you haven't done something for a certain amount of time.

Why do we use the preposition a in subir a la noria rather than en?

When you talk about getting on or boarding a vehicle, an amusement park ride, or an elevated place, Spanish uses the phrase subir a (literally "to go up to"). If you used en, it would sound like you were already on the Ferris wheel and climbing higher up inside it.

Could I use the present perfect and say No he subido a la noria desde hace un mes instead?

Yes, that is grammatically correct and means the same thing. However, using llevar + time + sin + infinitive is highly preferred by native speakers in everyday conversation because it puts more focus on the duration of time that has passed.

What exactly is a noria?

In modern, everyday Spanish, a noria is a Ferris wheel at an amusement park or fairground. Historically, it refers to a water wheel used to lift water for irrigation, which is exactly where the modern ride gets its shape and name from!