The verb leer (to read) is an important word if you want to talk about reading in Spanish. Whether you view it as a favorite downtime activity, an inspiring challenge, or an absolute necessity when it comes to interpreting written information, you’ll use the verb leer in a variety of sentences to communicate on this topic in Spanish.
Joining a book club, visiting a bookstore or library, or discussing your studies with others is also a great way to learn and give yourself even more opportunities to speak Spanish. Choosing reading material you enjoy, like una novela (a novel), un sitio web (a website), or un periódico (a newspaper) in Spanish can supercharge your comprehension and teach you new vocabulary. The more you read in Spanish, the easier it will be to learn to write in Spanish as well.
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Use leer to say ‘to read’ in Spanish
Leer (to read) is a very common -ER verb. If you learn the forms in the leer conjugation chart, the present tense endings will be the same for other common verbs, such as comer (to eat) and vender (to sell).
leer (to read) present tense
| yo leo | I read | nosotros leemos | we read |
| tú lees | you read (informal) | vosotros leéis | you read (informal plural, Spain only) |
| él/ella lee usted lee |
he/she reads you read (formal) |
ellos/ellas leen ustedes leen |
they read you read (plural) |
Pronunciation of leer
How do you say “read” in Spanish? You’ll likely notice the presence of two vowels in a row in these conjugated verb forms, which impacts how the word is pronounced in Spanish. Pay special attention when there are two “e” sounds in a row. To follow Spanish pronunciation rules, you will pronounce both “e”s.
- La niña lee. = The girl reads.
- ¿Me lees un libro? = Will you read me a book?
- A ella le gusta leer. = She likes to read.
- Me gusta leer. = I like to read.
- Ella va a leer. = She is going to read.
It will sound subtle to you at first, but you’ll begin to hear both sounds as you get more familiar with this verb. Pronounce it right every time with Rosetta Stone’s powerful TruAccent speech recognition tool.
Vocabulary for things you read in Spanish
These common Spanish words will help you talk about all of the things you might read. If you’re a bookworm, los libros (books) and las novelas (novels) probably come to mind first, but there are many opportunities to read in everyday life, even if you only read out of necessity.
Notice that some appear to break Spanish gender rules, because words like un mapa (a map) and un poema (a poem) break the expectations of masculine and feminine word endings. It’s helpful to learn these words with their Spanish articles, so you’ll easily remember them.
| Spanish | English |
| un anuncio | an announcement |
| una carta | a letter |
| un correo | an email/a piece of mail |
| una guía | a guidebook |
| unas instrucciones | instructions |
| un letrero | a notice/a sign |
| un mapa | a map |
| un mensaje | a message |
| un menú | a menu |
| una novela | a novel |
| un periódico | a newspaper |
| un poema | a poem |
| una revista | a magazine |
| una señal | a traffic sign |
| unos subtítulos | subtitles |
Conversations about reading in Spanish
The verb leer can unlock a lot of simple questions and answers for basic Spanish conversation.
- ¿Qué estás haciendo? = What are you doing?
- Estoy leyendo. = I’m reading.
- ¿Qué haces para relajarte? = What do you do to relax?
- Leo un libro. = I read a book.
- ¿Qué hacen tus padres por la mañana? = What do your parents do in the morning?
- Ellos leen un periódico. = They read a newspaper.
Discussing reading in everyday life
Reading is an important and practical way to get information. You read the menu in a restaurant, read schedules, and read for work or school. Whether you’re at a restaurant, at work, or talking to a student, reading is likely to come up in conversation.
- Ella necesita anteojos para leer el menú. = She needs glasses to read the menu.
- ¿Hablas español? = Do you speak Spanish?
- Leo español. = I read Spanish.
- ¿Tienes alguna tarea para entregar mañana? = Do you have any homework to turn in tomorrow?
- Sí, tengo que leer dos capítulos de esta novela. = Yes, I have to read two chapters of this novel.
Discussing books and reading as a hobby
It’s quite likely that you’ll meet someone who enjoys reading as a hobby, so books are the perfect topic for socializing. You’ll know you’ve found the right person if they tell you they enjoy la lectura (reading)—careful though, this false cognate in Spanish doesn’t mean “lectures.”
As a learner who enjoys reading, you might consider going to a librería (bookstore), a biblioteca (library), or even a local or online bookclub to make friends with Spanish-speakers and give yourself opportunities to practice and, of course, get recommendations, like these best Spanish books to read for language learners.
Here are a few examples of how you might discuss books with a friend or colleague. Notice the verb leer in various sentences, including Spanish past tenses such as leí (I read – past), haber leído (to have read), and the present progressive tense which focuses on the current moment and uses the form leyendo.
- ¿Cuántos libros has leído este año? = How many books have you read this year?
- He leído diez libros y dos eran muy interesantes. = I’ve read ten books and two were very interesting.
- Yo leí cuatro libros. = I read four books.
- ¿Has leído algún libro que me puedas recomendar? = Have you read a book you can recommend to me?
- Estoy leyendo una novela romántica sobre un hombre y su esposa. = I’m reading a romantic novel about a man and his wife.
- ¿Qué estás leyendo? = What are you reading?
- Ésta es mi novela favorita. = This is my favorite novel.
- Aunque es muy larga, la he leído por lo menos cuatro veces. = Even though it’s really long, I’ve read it at least four times.
Discussing what you’ve read in the news
Current events are a common topic for small talk and deeper conversations among friends. Whether you’ve read some actualidades (current events) online or in traditional print media, using the verb leer is the easiest way to get the conversation started.
- Leí el periódico. = I read the newspaper.
- ¿Leíste el periódico esta mañana? = Did you read the newspaper this morning?
- ¿Leíste las noticias sobre la reina? = Did you read the news about the Queen?
- ¿Leyó usted las noticias sobre las elecciones australianas? = Did you read the news about the Australian elections?
Set aside a few minutes each day to read in Spanish. Discuss what you’ve read with a conversation partner or one of Rosetta Stone’s expert tutors and you’ll see how much more quickly your Spanish proficiency will increase.
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