Elevar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

elevar means to raise, to lift, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo elevo todos los días» — I raise every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use elevar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Elevar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where elevar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo elevo todos los días. — I raise every day.
  2. Tú elevas en el trabajo. — You raise at work.
  3. Él eleva con mi familia. — He raises with my family.
  4. Nosotros elevamos por la mañana. — We raise in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo elevé por la tarde. — Yesterday I raised in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo elevaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to raise every day.
  3. La semana pasada él elevó dos veces. — Last week He raised twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo elevaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will raise without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo elevaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would raise right now.
  3. Hoy yo he elevado dos veces. — Today I have raised twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú eleves pronto. — I hope You raise soon.
  2. ¡eleva, por favor! — Raise, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy elevando. — Right now I am raising.

Elevar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo elevo en el trabajo.» — I raise at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo elevo con mi familia.» — I raise with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo elevaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will raise without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo elevaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would raise right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he elevado dos veces.» — Today I have raised twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo elevé por la tarde. Antes, yo elevaba todos los días. Hoy yo he elevado dos veces. Mañana yo elevaré sin falta.

Yesterday I raised in the afternoon. In the past, I used to raise every day. Today I have raised twice. Tomorrow I will raise without fail.

Common mistakes with elevar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo elevaba.

Right: Ayer yo elevé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, elevé. The imperfect elevaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú elevas.

Right: Espero que tú eleves.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: eleves, not the indicative elevas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No eleva.

Right: No eleves.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no eleves. The affirmative eleva can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo elevar todos los días.

Right: Yo elevo todos los días.

The infinitive elevar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo elevo.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He elevando.

Right: He elevado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he elevado. The gerund elevando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy elevando»), never with haber.

Quiz: elevar in use

Test yourself on elevar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the nosotros/as form of elevar in the present indicative?

- (a) elevo
- (b) eleva
- (c) elevamos
- (d) elevas

2. What is the vosotros/as form of elevar in the preterite?

- (a) elevaste
- (b) elevasteis
- (c) elevé
- (d) elevó

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elevar in the future?

- (a) elevarás
- (b) elevarán
- (c) elevaré
- (d) elevará

4. What is the yo form of elevar in the present perfect?

- (a) he elevado
- (b) ha elevado
- (c) has elevado
- (d) hemos elevado

5. What is the nosotros/as form of elevar in the imperfect?

- (a) elevábamos
- (b) elevaba
- (c) elevaba
- (d) elevabas

6. What is the gerund of elevar?

- (a) elevando
- (b) elevar
- (c) elevado
- (d) elevo

7. What is the past participle of elevar?

- (a) elevé
- (b) elevado
- (c) elevando
- (d) elevar

8. Which sentence uses elevar correctly?

- (a) *Yo elevo todos los días.* — I raise every day.
- (b) *Yo elevar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo eleva todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo elevas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses elevar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo elevaba por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo elevar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo elevo por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo elevé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I raised in the afternoon.

10. What does elevar mean?

- (a) to make
- (b) to eliminate
- (c) to exercise
- (d) to raise, to lift

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of elevar is elevamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the preterite, the vosotros/as form of elevar is elevasteis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elevar is elevarán. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present perfect, the yo form of elevar is he elevado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the nosotros/as form of elevar is elevábamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (a) — The gerund of elevar is elevando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy elevando». 7. (b) — The past participle of elevar is elevado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he elevado». 8. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of elevar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of elevar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — elevar means «to raise, to lift».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I raise' in Spanish?

Say «Yo elevo todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I raised' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo elevé por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is elevar reflexive?

No — elevar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo elevo, tú elevas, él eleva. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with elevar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (elevé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (elevaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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