Ir-Venir / Traer - Llevar

Cómo usar estos verbos y cuál es la diferencia en inglés

Ir-Venir / Traer - Llevar

This is a topic that brings many headaches to students who usually translate from English, and this is because it is different in Spanish.

In Spanish we use VENIR and TRAER when we talk about something or someone that comes to the place where the speaker is talking.

Example 1: - Si venís a casa, ¿podés traer tu computadora para que podamos trabajar? (If you come to my place, Could you bring your computer so we can work?)

Example 2: El caño está roto, necesitamos que venga el plomero y traiga sus herramientas. (The pipe is broken, we need the plumber to come and bring his tools)

But imagine this situation: you are arriving late to your work’s meeting, so you call them, What do you say? In English you could say: “I am coming”, but not in spanish, because you are leaving the place where you are speaking, so you would say: “estoy yendo”.

Also you can use “Venir” if you talk about a place where we usually are, like your home.

-¿Vas a venir a mi cumple? Traé a tu novio. (Are you coming to my birthday? Bring your boyfriend with you.

“Ya vengo” is something that you can see often in a sign: I will be back soon. La persona está hablando de “regresar” al lugar desde donde está hablando.

But IR and LLEVAR are used when we leave the place where we are speaking or we talk about a place that it is not the same location where we are.

Example 1: Si visito tu país te voy a llevar alfajores. (If I visit your country I will bring you alfajores)

Example 2: -¿Vamos a lo de Martín? Tendríamos que llevar cervezas. (Are we going to Martin’s place? We should bring beer).

¿Por qué a veces usamos “irse” o “llevarse”?