levantar

Galician

Alternative forms

• alevantar, lovantar

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese levantar (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), itself from a Vulgar Latin *levantāre, from Latin levans, levante-, present participle of levō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [leβanˈtaɾ]

Verb

levantar (first-person singular present levanto, first-person singular preterite levantei, past participle levantado)

1. to lift; to raise

   Synonyms: alzar, erguer

2. to pick up

   Synonym: apañar

3. to stand (place upright)
4. (reflexive) to stand up
5. (reflexive) to get up (rise from one’s bed)

   Synonym: erguer

6. to put up (build a structure)

   Synonyms: alzar, erguer

   • 1380, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática, Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 610:

     mando a meu heree que faça leuantar a hermida de san paayo de mallos

     I order my heir to make put up the shrine of Saint Pelagius at Mallos

7. (reflexive) to rise up (rebel)

   Synonym: rebelar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of levantar

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	levantar
Personal	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantaren
Gerund
	levantando
Past participle
Masculine	levantado			levantados
Feminine	levantada			levantadas
Indicative
Present	levanto	levantas	levanta	levantamos	levantades	levantan
Imperfect	levantaba	levantabas	levantaba	levantabamos	levantabades	levantaban
Preterite	levantei	levantaches	levantou	levantamos	levantastes	levantaron
Pluperfect	levantara	levantaras	levantara	levantaramos	levantarades	levantaran
Future	levantarei	levantarás	levantará	levantaremos	levantaredes	levantarán
Conditional	levantaría	levantarías	levantaría	levantariamos	levantariades	levantarían
Subjunctive
Present	levante	levantes	levante	levantemos	levantedes	levanten
Imperfect	levantase	levantases	levantase	levantásemos	levantásedes	levantasen
Future	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantaren
Imperative
Affirmative		levanta	levante	levantemos	levantade	levanten
Negative (non)		non levantes	non levante	non levantemos	non levantedes	non levanten

    Reintegrated conjugation of levantar (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	levantar
Personal	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantarem
Gerund
	levantando
Past participle
Masculine	levantado			levantados
Feminine	levantada			levantadas
Indicative
Present	levanto	levantas	levanta	levantamos	levantades, levantais	levantam
Imperfect	levantava	levantavas	levantava	levantávamos	levantávades, levantáveis, levantávais1	levantavam
Preterite	levantei	levantaste, levantache1	levantou	levantamos	levantastes	levantárom, levantaram
Pluperfect	levantara	levantaras	levantara	levantáramos	levantárades, levantáreis, levantárais1	levantaram
Future	levantarei	levantarás	levantará	levantaremos	levantaredes, levantareis	levantarám, levantarão
Conditional	levantaria	levantarias	levantaria	levantaríamos	levantaríades, levantaríeis, levantaríais1	levantariam
Subjunctive
Present	levante	levantes	levante	levantemos	levantedes, levanteis	levantem
Imperfect	levantasse	levantasses	levantasse	levantássemos	levantássedes, levantásseis	levantassem
Future	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantarem
Imperative
Affirmative		levanta	levante	levantemos	levantade, levantai	levantem
Negative (nom)		nom levantes	nom levante	nom levantemos	nom levantedes, nom levanteis	nom levantem

¹Less recommended.

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “levantar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “levantar”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “levantar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “levantar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “levantar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Ladino

Alternative forms

• alevantar

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish levantar, either from levante (corresponding to Latin levāntem), the old present participle of levar, itself the Old Spanish form of llevar, from Latin levō, levāre, or from a Vulgar Latin *levantāre, derived from levāns, levānte-, present participle of levō. Compare Galician and Portuguese levantar, Asturian llevantar, Romansch alvantar, leventar.

Verb

levantar (Hebrew spelling ליב׳אנטאר)

1. (transitive) to lift; to lift up (bring up)
   • 19th century, Sa'adi Besalel a-Levi, edited by Aron Rodrigue, Sarah Abrevaya Stein, A Jewish Voice from Ottoman Salonica: The Ladino Memoir of Sa'adi Besalel A-Levi‎^[1], Stanford University Press, published 2012, →ISBN, page 182:

     Despues ke lo levantavan al ninio, non se pudia detener en pyes delas fushkas ke se le azian.

     After they [finally] lifted up the child, he could not stand on his feet because of the blisters that [now] affected him.

2. (intransitive, reflexive) to arise
   • 1910, Reuben Eliyahu Israel, Traducsion libera de las poezias ebraicas de Roş Aşana i Kipur‎^[2], Craiova: Institutul Grafic, I. Samitca şi D. Baraş, Socieatate in Comandita, →OCLC, page 5:

     Ombre, levanta i esforsate por atorgar tus pecados
     Roga al dio con abatision por ke ti seian perdonados
     Por ke tus actos escondidos, delantre de el son aclarados
     I todos los biervos ke tu pronunsias delantre de el son examinados.
     Segun apeiada el padre a sus ijos seiamos de el apeiadados

     Man, arise and force yourself to admit your sins. Beg God exhaustingly so that they be forgiven, for your hidden acts are obvious to him, and all of the words that you pronounce before him are examined. As the father rescues his children may we be among the rescued.

3. (reflexive) to get up (rise from one’s bed)
   • 1995, Aki Yerushalayim‎^[3], numbers 49–52, page 96:

     Kuando Djoha se levantava de manyana de su kama i enpesava a vistirse, ya no avia mas ninguno en kaza.

     When Djoha was getting up that morning from bed and starting to get dressed, there was no longer anybody at home.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of levantar

infinitive		simple		levantar
		compound		aver levantado
gerund		simple		levantando
		compound		aviendo levantado
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		levantado		levantados
		feminine		levantada		levantadas
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		yo	tú	él / ella	mosotros mosós	vosotros vosós / vós	ellos / ellas
	present	levanto	levantas	levanta	levantamos	levantáx	levantan
	imperfect	levantava	levantavas	levantava	levantávamos	levantavax	levantavan
	preterite	levantí	levantates	levantó	levantimos	levantatex	levantaron
	future	levantaré	levantarás	levantará	levantaremos	levantaréx	levantarán
	conditional	levantaría	levantarías	levantaría	levantaríamos	levantaríax	levantarían
subjunctive		yo	tú	él / ella	mosotros mosós	vosotros vosós / vós	ellos / ellas
	present	levante	levantes	levante	levantemos	levantéx	levanten
	imperfect	levantara	levantaras	levantara	levantáramos	levantarax	levantaran
imperative		—	tú	—	—	vosotros vosós / vós	—
	affirmative	—	levanta	—	—	levantad	—
	negative	—	no levantes	—	—	no levantéx	—

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• alevantar

Verb

levantar

1. (transitive) to build; to build up; to raise (a structure)
2. (reflexive) to get up (rise from one’s bed)

References

• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “levantar”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “levantar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Manuel Ferreiro (2014–2025) “levantar”, in Universo Cantigas. Edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN

Old Spanish

Etymology

Either from levante (corresponding to Latin levāntem), the present participle of of llevar, from Latin levō, levāre, or from a Vulgar Latin *levantāre, derived from levāns, levānte-, present participle of levō. Compare Galician and Portuguese levantar, Asturian llevantar, Romansch alvantar, leventar.

Verb

levantar

1. (transitive) to raise (up)
2. (transitive) to make a sound (with a voice or a music instrument)
3. (transitive) to instigate
4. (transitive) to initiate (start)
5. (transitive) to remove (obstructions)
6. (reflexive) to get up (rise from one’s bed)
7. (reflexive) to stand up (with the feet)

References

• Ralph Steele Boggs et al. (1946) “levantar”, in Tentative Dictionary of Medieval Spanish, volume II, Chapel Hill, page 304

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• alevantar

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese levantar, itself from a Vulgar Latin *levantāre, from Latin levantem, present participle of levō. Compare Spanish levantar.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /le.vɐ̃ˈta(ʁ)/ [le.vɐ̃ˈta(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /le.vɐ̃ˈta(ʁ)/ [le.vɐ̃ˈta(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /le.vɐ̃ˈta(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /le.vɐ̃ˈta(ʁ)/ [le.vɐ̃ˈta(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /le.vɐ̃ˈta(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /lɨ.vɐ̃ˈtaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /lɨ.vɐ̃ˈtaɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /lɨ.bɐ̃ˈtaɾ/ [lɨ.βɐ̃ˈtaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /lɨ.vɐ̃ˈta.ɾi/

Verb

levantar (first-person singular present levanto, first-person singular preterite levantei, past participle levantado)

2. (intransitive or pronominal) to stand up; to get up (to rise from a lying, sitting or fallen position) [with de ‘from somewhere’]

   Antonyms: cair, deitar, sentar

   Levante-se do chão!

   Get up from the floor!

4. (transitive) to raise; to get someone up (to cause someone or something to stand up)

   Synonym: erguer

   Antonyms: deitar, derrubar

   Vi um homem levantar seu filho que tropeçara.

   I saw a man lift up his son who had tripped.

6. (intransitive or pronominal) to get up (to get out of bed after waking up)

   Antonym: deitar

   Acordei cedo mas estava tão triste que não levantei.

   I woke up early but I was so sad that I didn’t get up.

   • 1890, Aluísio Azevedo, O Cortiço, Rio de Janeiro: B. L. Garnier:

     Naquela manhã levantara-se ainda um pouco mais lânguido que do costume, porque passara mal a noite.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

8. (transitive) to lift; to raise (to put into a higher position)

   Synonyms: erguer, alçar

   É algo que levantei do chão.

   It’s something I lifted from the floor.

   Eu levanto o meu braço.

   I raise my arm.

   Tu não consegues levantar o piano.

   You can’t lift the piano.

   • 2015, Max Barry, Léxico, Editora Intrínseca, →ISBN, page 43:

     Levantou um pé da neve, baixou-o novamente.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

10. (transitive) to raise (to cause to have a higher value)

    Synonyms: erguer, aumentar

    Antonyms: abaixar, baixar

    A guerra levantará o preço das necessidades básicas.

    The war will raise the price of basic necessities.

12. (figurative, pronominal) to get up (to recover from a setback) [with de ‘from something negative’]

    Nunca nos levantamos do fracasso da empresa.

    We never recovered from the company’s failure.

14. (transitive) to raise (to collect or levy)

    Synonym: arrecadar

    Vou levantar dinheiro do banco.

    I'm going to withdraw money from the bank.

16. (transitive) to build; to erect (to create a building)

    Synonyms: construir, erigir

    Antonyms: derrubar, destruir

    A fim de impedir o avanço dos inimigos, o rei levantaria uma muralha.

    In order to stop the enemies’ advance, the king would erect a wall.

18. (transitive) to raise; to put forth (to cause to arise; to create)

    Os novos achados levantam dúvidas acerca da teoria vigente.

    The new findings raise doubts on the current theory.

20. (pronominal) to revolt; to rebel (to start a rebellion) [with contra ‘against someone/something’]

    Synonyms: rebelar, sublevar

    Antonym: pacificar

    Os pobres se levantaram contra o governo.

    The poor revolted against the government.

22. (transitive) to incite (to provoke into rebellion) [with contra ‘against someone/something’]

    O ditador levantou seu povo contra os fascistas.

    The dictator incited his people against the fascists.

24. (transitive) to pick up; to collect (to get or collect an item from a designated place)

    Ele foi à loja levantar a encomenda.

    He went to the store to pick up the parcel.

26. (volleyball, intransitive or transitive) to set (to put the ball in the air such that it can be driven by an attack)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of levantar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	levantar
Personal	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantarem
Gerund
	levantando
Past participle
Masculine	levantado			levantados
Feminine	levantada			levantadas
Indicative
Present	levanto	levantas	levanta	levantamos	levantais	levantam
Imperfect	levantava	levantavas	levantava	levantávamos	levantáveis	levantavam
Preterite	levantei	levantaste	levantou	levantamos1, levantámos2	levantastes	levantaram
Pluperfect	levantara	levantaras	levantara	levantáramos	levantáreis	levantaram
Future	levantarei	levantarás	levantará	levantaremos	levantareis	levantarão
Conditional	levantaria	levantarias	levantaria	levantaríamos	levantaríeis	levantariam
Subjunctive
Present	levante	levantes	levante	levantemos	levanteis	levantem
Imperfect	levantasse	levantasses	levantasse	levantássemos	levantásseis	levantassem
Future	levantar	levantares	levantar	levantarmos	levantardes	levantarem
Imperative
Affirmative		levanta	levante	levantemos	levantai	levantem
Negative (não)		não levantes	não levante	não levantemos	não levanteis	não levantem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “to lift”): baixar, abaixar

Related terms

• levantamento
• levante

Descendants

• Macanese: levantâ

Further reading

• “levantar” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “levantar”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “levantar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish levantar, either from levante (corresponding to Latin levāntem), the old present participle of levar, itself the Old Spanish form of llevar, from Latin levō, levāre, or from a Vulgar Latin *levantāre, derived from levāns, levānte-, present participle of levō. Compare Galician and Portuguese levantar, Asturian llevantar, Romansch alvantar, leventar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lebanˈtaɾ/ [le.β̞ãn̪ˈt̪aɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: le‧van‧tar

Verb

levantar (first-person singular present levanto, first-person singular preterite levanté, past participle levantado)

1. to lift

   Nadie podía levantar un coche.

   Nobody could lift a car.

2. to raise; to put up

   Synonym: alzar

   Levanta la mano.

   Raise your hand.

   ¿Puedes levantar una sola ceja?

   Can you raise a single eyebrow?

3. to put up; to build up (buildings)
4. to increase; to turn up (volume, power etc.)
5. to adjourn; to close; to end (a meeting)

   Synonym: cerrar

   Antonym: abrir

   Se levanta la sesión.

   The session is adjourned.

   El presidente levantó la reunión.

   The president adjourned the meeting.

6. (hunting) to flush out
7. to draw up (plans)
8. to take, make (a census)
9. to remove; get rid of (a prohibition)
10. to nick, rob (steal)
11. to take down (a tent)
12. to give rise to
13. to set up, found (a business)
14. to bring back, make successful again (a business)
15. to take home; to earn (money)
16. (card games) to pick (a card)
17. (card games) to beat (a hand)
18. (reflexive) to get up; to get out of bed

    Antonym: acostar

19. (reflexive) to ride; to mount (have sex with)
20. to levitate

Conjugation

    Conjugation of levantar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			levantar
gerund			levantando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		levantado		levantada
		plural		levantados		levantadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	levanto	levantastú levantásvos	levanta	levantamos	levantáis	levantan
	imperfect	levantaba	levantabas	levantaba	levantábamos	levantabais	levantaban
	preterite	levanté	levantaste	levantó	levantamos	levantasteis	levantaron
	future	levantaré	levantarás	levantará	levantaremos	levantaréis	levantarán
	conditional	levantaría	levantarías	levantaría	levantaríamos	levantaríais	levantarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	levante	levantestú levantésvos2	levante	levantemos	levantéis	levanten
	imperfect (ra)	levantara	levantaras	levantara	levantáramos	levantarais	levantaran
	imperfect (se)	levantase	levantases	levantase	levantásemos	levantaseis	levantasen
	future1	levantare	levantares	levantare	levantáremos	levantareis	levantaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		levantatú levantávos	levante	levantemos	levantad	levanten
	negative		no levantes	no levante	no levantemos	no levantéis	no levanten

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of levantar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive levantar	dative	levantarme	levantarte	levantarle, levantarse	levantarnos	levantaros	levantarles, levantarse
	accusative	levantarme	levantarte	levantarlo, levantarla, levantarse	levantarnos	levantaros	levantarlos, levantarlas, levantarse
with gerund levantando	dative	levantándome	levantándote	levantándole, levantándose	levantándonos	levantándoos	levantándoles, levantándose
	accusative	levantándome	levantándote	levantándolo, levantándola, levantándose	levantándonos	levantándoos	levantándolos, levantándolas, levantándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative levanta	dative	levántame	levántate	levántale	levántanos	not used	levántales
	accusative	levántame	levántate	levántalo, levántala	levántanos	not used	levántalos, levántalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative levantá	dative	levantame	levantate	levantale	levantanos	not used	levantales
	accusative	levantame	levantate	levantalo, levantala	levantanos	not used	levantalos, levantalas
with formal second-person singular imperative levante	dative	levánteme	not used	levántele, levántese	levántenos	not used	levánteles
	accusative	levánteme	not used	levántelo, levántela, levántese	levántenos	not used	levántelos, levántelas
with first-person plural imperative levantemos	dative	not used	levantémoste	levantémosle	levantémonos	levantémoos	levantémosles
	accusative	not used	levantémoste	levantémoslo, levantémosla	levantémonos	levantémoos	levantémoslos, levantémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative levantad	dative	levantadme	not used	levantadle	levantadnos	levantaos	levantadles
	accusative	levantadme	not used	levantadlo, levantadla	levantadnos	levantaos	levantadlos, levantadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative levanten	dative	levántenme	not used	levántenle	levántennos	not used	levántenles, levántense
	accusative	levántenme	not used	levántenlo, levántenla	levántennos	not used	levántenlos, levántenlas, levántense

Derived terms

• cayendo y levantando
• levantamiento
• levantar cabeza
• levantar de punto
• levantar el campo
• levantar el cerco
• levantar el cuello
• levantar el dedo
• levantar el espíritu
• levantar el grito
• levantar el real
• levantar el sitio
• levantar el tiempo
• levantar el vuelo
• levantar la cerviz
• levantar la mesa
• levantar la sesión
• levantar los manteles
• levantar ronchas
• levantarse
• levantarse con el pie izquierdo
• sin levantar mano

Related terms

• levante
• llevar
• relevante

Further reading

• “levantar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10