crecido
/kreh-SEE-doh/
grown up
Illustrating 'crecido' meaning 'grown up' or mature.
crecido(Adjective)
grown up
?referring to people/maturity
,tall
?referring to height
big
?general size
,developed
?physically
📝 In Action
¡Qué crecido está tu hijo! No lo reconocí.
A2How grown up your son is! I didn't recognize him.
Las plantas están muy crecidas gracias a la lluvia.
B1The plants are very big/tall thanks to the rain.
💡 Grammar Points
Adjective Agreement
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'crecido' must change its ending to match the noun it describes: 'crecida' (feminine singular), 'crecidos' (masculine plural), and 'crecidas' (feminine plural).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'crecido' and 'grande'
Mistake: "Using 'crecido' only for general size when 'grande' is better."
Correction: 'Crecido' usually emphasizes the *process* of growth or height, whereas 'grande' is general bigness. 'Una casa grande' (A big house) vs. 'Un niño crecido' (A grown-up child).
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with 'Estar'
This adjective is almost always used with the verb 'estar' (to be, temporary state) because it describes a current state achieved after a process of growth.
Illustrating 'crecido' meaning 'swollen' or high, usually referring to a river or water level.
crecido(Adjective)
swollen
?river/water level
,high
?water level
flooded
?describing a body of water
📝 In Action
Tengan cuidado, el río está muy crecido y es peligroso cruzarlo.
B1Be careful, the river is very swollen/high and it's dangerous to cross it.
Después del deshielo, el arroyo siempre viene crecido.
C1After the thaw, the stream always comes high/swollen.
💡 Grammar Points
Always used with 'Estar'
When referring to water levels, 'crecido' describes the temporary, current state of the river or stream, so it always pairs with 'estar' (to be).
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Key
If you hear 'crecido' in a sentence about weather or nature, it almost certainly refers to increased water volume, not physical height.
Illustrating 'crecido' as the past participle meaning 'grown' (as in 'has grown').
📝 In Action
La población ha crecido mucho en los últimos diez años.
A2The population has grown a lot in the last ten years.
Nunca había crecido una planta tan rápido.
B1I had never grown a plant so fast.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
The form 'crecido' is used with the verb 'haber' (to have) to create perfect tenses, which talk about completed actions. For example, 'ha crecido' means 'it has grown'.
It Stays Fixed
Unlike when 'crecido' is used as an adjective, when it is used as part of a verb phrase (with 'haber'), it always stays in the masculine singular form ('crecido').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Changing the Ending with 'Haber'
Mistake: "La población ha crecida mucho."
Correction: La población ha crecido mucho. (The ending only changes when 'crecido' is acting as a descriptive adjective, not as a verb form.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Root Verb
Remember that 'crecido' comes from the verb 'crecer' (to grow). If you understand the base verb, you understand all forms of 'crecido'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: crecido
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'crecida' as an adjective describing a high water level?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
When does 'crecido' change its ending, and when does it stay 'crecido'?
It changes its ending (crecida, crecidos, crecidas) when it is acting as a descriptive word (an adjective, like 'tall' or 'swollen'). It stays fixed as 'crecido' when it is used with the verb 'haber' to form compound tenses (like 'ha crecido' or 'they had grown').
Is 'crecido' the same as 'grande'?
Not exactly. 'Grande' means big in general. 'Crecido' specifically means 'grown' or 'having increased in size/volume,' emphasizing the process of becoming bigger. A child is 'crecido' (grown up), but a mountain is just 'grande' (big).