Part of speech: Verb
Phonetic transcription: /leˈeɾ/
Meanings: The verb "leer" means "to read" in English. It is commonly used to indicate the action of interpreting written or printed material. This verb is very common in Spanish, both in written and oral contexts. It is an essential part of language learning and communication.
Usage patterns: "Leer" is a high-frequency word in Spanish, used in various contexts, from everyday conversations to academic settings. It is used in both formal and informal situations.
Verb forms: - Present: leo, lees, lee, leemos, leéis, leen - Future: leeré, leerás, leerá, leeremos, leeréis, leerán - Imperfect: leía, leías, leía, leíamos, leíais, leían - Preterite: leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeron - Conditional: leería, leerías, leería, leeríamos, leeríais, leerían - Present subjunctive: lea, leas, lea, leamos, leáis, lean - Imperfect subjunctive: leyera or leyese, leyeras or leyeseis, leyera or leyese, leyéramos or leyésemos, leyerais or leyeseis, leyeran or leyesen - Affirmative imperative: lee (tú), lea (usted), leamos (nosotros/nosotras), leed (vosotros/vosotras), lean (ustedes)
Examples: 1. Me encanta leer novelas. (I love to read novels.) 2. Todos los días leo el periódico. (Every day I read the newspaper.)
Idiomatic expressions: "Leer" is also used in a variety of common idiomatic expressions in Spanish. Here are some examples: 1. "Leer entre líneas" (to read between the lines) - to understand what is implied but not explicitly stated. 2. "Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta" (his eyes are bigger than his belly) - indicating that one is taking on too much and not doing anything effectively.
Etymology: The verb "leer" comes from the Latin word "legere."
Synonyms: - Repasar (to review) - Escudriñar (to scrutinize)
Antonyms: - Escribir (to write) - Ignorar (to ignore)