Having a hard time understanding...

[WMX]

I've been using traer in lots of sentences where I want to say "bring" which is right according to my dictionary. Now I have a Mexican friend who I try to talk to and he sometimes corrects me and tells me to use llevar instead of traer for bring. I don't understand why, and it's not in my dictionary. Can anyone explain why he says this?

[Felipe]

This is another one for context clues!
Llevar can be used for several things: wear (clothing), bring, carry.
Traer is a synonym, but it depends on what your saying. Some phrases employ the words in different ways.
You need a dictionary that will give you example phrases or context information:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/defi...&dict=S&lang=S Llevar
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/defi...&dict=S&lang=S Traer

[Tomisimo]

As Felipe says, "llevar" has more than one meaning. If you're getting confused as to when you should use llevar and traer (with the meaning of bring), it's pretty simple. If you or someone else is brining something to or towards where you physically are at the time of saying it, then use traer. If they are going to bring you something to another location, where you aren't physically at the moment, then use llevar.

Some examples might help.

TRAER
Bring me a spoon. - Traeme una cuchara.
Bring me a glass of water. - Traeme un vaso de agua.
Bring me anything to where I am physically right now.

LLEVAR
Bring it to work tomorrow (but I'm at home right now) - Llévala mañana al trabajo.
We're almost there, can you bring me a jacket? - Estamos por llegar, me llevas una chamarra?

Hope that helps.

[WMX]

Thanks for the explaination, that helps a lot. It still doesn't make sense in my mind, but I understand it, if that makes any sense.

[sosia]

traer: bring something TO ME
llevar: Take(bring) something(or me) FOR ME
and now read Tomisimo twice

[WMX]

Ok, so it's making more sense now... thanks sosia...

traer- bring something to me (where i am now)
llevar- bring something for me (to someplace where we will both be in the future)

Now I just gotta try to remember it