léelo
/leelo/from spelling rules
To say "read it" in Spanish, use léelo.
Léelo is an imperative used to instruct someone to look at and understand the written words of a text.
What does it mean word for word?
The word léelo is composed of the imperative verb lee (read) and the object pronoun lo (it).
Which one should you use?
If the text being referred to is a feminine noun, such as la carta (the letter), you must use the form léela instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form léelo uses the masculine singular pronoun lo, which refers to a masculine noun like el libro (the book).
How do you pronounce it?
/leelo/
Did you know?
- The verb leer shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'letter'. Both originate from the Latin legere, which originally meant 'to gather' or 'to collect' words.
- While léelo is a direct command, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, using the imperative can feel very blunt or even rude unless you are among very close friends.
- When you attach the pronoun lo to the end of the command lee, the word requires a written accent mark on the first 'e' to maintain its original stress. Without the accent, the word would be pronounced differently and lose its imperative force.
Examples in context
- Léelo de nuevo para mí.Read it back to me.This sentence uses léelo to show how to ask someone to read something back to you.Tatoeba #5083873 by albrusgher, translation #3393237 by CK
- ¡Léelo!Read it!This sentence uses léelo as a direct command.Tatoeba #12005766 by JSKabylie15, translation #10777634 by hecko
- Léelo y llora.Read it and weep.This sentence uses léelo in the idiom 'read it and weep'.Tatoeba #5146741 by albrusgher, translation #3726119 by CM
- Lea esto, por favorRead this, please
- ¿Podría leer esto, por favor?Could you read this, please?
- Échale un vistazo a esta revista, te encantará.Take a look at this magazine, you'll love it.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo shows Elena a funny message on his phone.
- MateoMira este mensaje, léelo.Look at this message, read it.
- ElenaEstá muy gracioso, Mateo.It is very funny, Mateo.
- MateoSí, es increíble.Yes, it is unbelievable.
- ElenaGracias por enseñármelo.Thanks for showing it to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
