Four verbs that do a lot of work
Quedar, llevar, tener and hacer are among the most common verbs in Spanish, and each one covers meanings that English splits across many different verbs. A dictionary gives you the first meaning; conversation uses all of them. The fastest way to learn them is in fixed patterns, not one translation at a time.
quedar
- to fit: te queda bien
- to be located: ¿dónde queda?
- to be left: no queda leche
- to meet up: ¿a qué hora quedamos?
- quedarse con = to keep
llevar
- to wear: lleva gafas
- to take somewhere: te llevo
- to have been doing: llevo un año aquí
- to contain: lleva ajo
- to be older by: me lleva tres años
tener
- age: tengo 30 años
- feelings: tengo hambre, frío, sueño
- tener razón = to be right
- tener ganas de = to feel like
- tener que = to have to
hacer
- weather: hace calor
- ago: hace dos años
- to do / make: hacer la cama
- hacer una pregunta = to ask a question
- hacer + infinitive = to make someone do
The traps for English speakers
“I am hungry” uses tener, not estar or ser: tengo hambre. The same goes for age (tengo 25 años), being right (tienes razón) and being careful (ten cuidado).
“It’s hot” uses hacer: hace calor. But for a person feeling hot, go back to tener: tengo calor.
“How long have you been…?” often uses llevar: ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aquí? The same idea can also be said with hace: ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que vives aquí?
Quedar con alguien (to meet up with someone) is especially common in Spain. In Latin America you’ll more often hear quedar en vernos or quedar de vernos (“we agreed to meet”), juntarse in Chile and Argentina, or simply vernos.
Quick answers
What does quedar mean in Spanish?
Quedar has several everyday meanings: to fit (te queda bien), to be located (¿dónde queda el museo?), to be left (no queda leche) and to arrange to meet (¿a qué hora quedamos?). Quedarse con means to keep or take.
What does llevar mean in Spanish?
Llevar can mean to wear (lleva gafas), to take someone or something somewhere (te llevo a casa), to have been doing something (llevo un año estudiando), to contain an ingredient (lleva ajo) and to be older by (me lleva tres años).
Is it “hace calor” or “tiene calor”?
Use hace for the weather: “Hoy hace calor.” Use tener for how a person feels: “Tengo calor.”
Where can I practice quedar, llevar, tener and hacer for free?
VerbSprint has a free 60-second drill with 34 everyday sentences using quedar, llevar, tener and hacer. Every mistake shows the meaning being used, and no sign-up is needed.