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crecen

KREH-sehn/ˈkɾesen/

“crecen” means “they grow” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they grow

Also: you all grow
VerbA1spelling change er
A row of three sunflowers at different heights, showing the progression from a small sprout to a tall blooming flower.
infinitivecrecer
past Participlecrecido
gerundcreciendo

📝 In Action

Los niños crecen muy rápido.

A1

The children grow very fast.

Estas flores crecen en la primavera.

A1

These flowers grow in the spring.

Ustedes crecen un poco cada año.

A2

You all grow a little every year.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aumentan (they increase)
  • maduran (they mature)

Antonyms

  • encogen (they shrink)
  • disminuyen (they decrease)

Common Collocations

  • crecen sanos – they grow up healthy
  • crecen de tamaño – they grow in size

they increase

Also: they rise
VerbB1spelling change er
A tall stack of colorful wooden toy blocks being built higher and higher.

📝 In Action

Las deudas crecen si no se pagan.

B1

Debts increase if they aren't paid.

Los ríos crecen después de la lluvia.

B1

The rivers rise after the rain.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • crecen las dudas – doubts are growing
  • crecen los precios – prices are rising

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

yocrezca
nosotroscrezcamos
ellos/ellas/ustedescrezcan
túcrezcas
vosotroscrezcáis
él/ella/ustedcrezca

imperfect

yocreciera
nosotroscreciéramos
ellos/ellas/ustedescrecieran
túcrecieras
vosotroscrecierais
él/ella/ustedcreciera

indicative

present

yocrezco
nosotroscrecemos
ellos/ellas/ustedescrecen
túcreces
vosotroscrecéis
él/ella/ustedcrece

imperfect

yocrecía
nosotroscrecíamos
ellos/ellas/ustedescrecían
túcrecías
vosotroscrecíais
él/ella/ustedcrecía

preterite

yocrecí
nosotroscrecimos
ellos/ellas/ustedescrecieron
túcreciste
vosotroscrecisteis
él/ella/ustedcreció
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "crecen" in Spanish:

they grow→they increase→they rise→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: crecen

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'crecen' to talk about a garden?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
crecimiento(growth) — Noun
creciente(growing/crescent) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'crescere', which simply meant 'to come forth' or 'to grow'.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: crescentFrench: croître

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'crecen' work for both people and objects?

Yes! You can use it for children getting taller, plants getting bigger, or even abstract things like 'problems' getting worse.