Inklingo

crío

KREE-oh/ˈkɾio/

crío means kid in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

kid, child

Also: brat, baby
NounmA2informal
SpainLatin America
A young child smiling and playing with a toy ball on a grassy field.

📝 In Action

Ese crío siempre está corriendo por la calle.

A1

That kid is always running through the street.

Tengo dos críos que no paran quietos.

A2

I have two kids who never sit still.

¡Qué crío más guapo!

A2

What a handsome little boy!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • niño (child)
  • chaval (kid/lad)
  • nene (baby/little boy)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • un mal críoa naughty/spoiled kid
  • desde críosince I was a kid

I raise, I breed

Also: I nurse, I produce
VerbB1irregular (accented 'i') ar
A person gently feeding a small baby lamb with a bottle.
past Participlecriado
infinitivecriar
gerundcriando

📝 In Action

Yo crío a mis hijos con mucha libertad.

B1

I raise my children with a lot of freedom.

Crío gallinas en mi finca.

B1

I breed chickens on my farm.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • educar (to educate/bring up)
  • alimentar (to feed/nourish)

Common Collocations

  • criar famato get a reputation
  • malcriarto spoil (a child)

Idioms & Expressions

  • Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojosIf you raise ungrateful people, they will eventually hurt you

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescríen
vosotroscriéis
él/ella/ustedcríe
nosotroscriemos
críes
yocríe

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescriaran
vosotroscriarais
él/ella/ustedcriara
nosotroscriáramos
criaras
yocriara

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescriaron
vosotroscriasteis
él/ella/ustedcrio
nosotroscriamos
criaste
yocrié

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescriaban
vosotroscriabais
él/ella/ustedcriaba
nosotroscriábamos
criabas
yocriaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescrían
vosotroscriáis
él/ella/ustedcría
nosotroscriamos
crías
yocrío

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "crío" in Spanish:

i breedi nursei produce

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: crío

Question 1 of 2

If you say 'Yo crío ovejas', what are you doing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
ríofríomío
📚 Etymology

From the Latin 'creare', which means 'to produce, create, or bring forth.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: createFrench: créer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'crío' and 'niño'?

'Niño' is the standard, neutral word for child. 'Crío' is more informal and common in Spain, similar to saying 'kid' in English.

Does 'crío' always have an accent mark?

Yes, when it means 'child' (noun) or 'I raise' (present tense verb), it always has an accent on the 'i' to show where the stress goes.