creyó
/kreh-YOH/
believed
She believed (creyó) the story.
creyó(verb)
believed
?He/She/You (formal) simple past
gave credit to
?Accepted as true
📝 In Action
Ella creyó la excusa que le dio su hijo.
A2She believed the excuse her son gave her.
Él no creyó que fuera posible ganar la lotería.
B1He didn't believe it was possible to win the lottery.
Usted creyó todo lo que leyó en el periódico.
B1You (formal) believed everything you read in the newspaper.
💡 Grammar Points
The Simple Past Tense
This form uses the simple past (preterite) tense, which tells you that the action of believing started and finished at a specific point in the past.
The 'Y' Rule (Irregular Spelling)
In the simple past, the verb 'creer' is irregular. When the letter 'i' falls between two vowels (like in cre-i-ó), it changes to the letter 'y' for better flow, resulting in creyó.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Misspelling the Simple Past
Mistake: "Using *creió* or *creyó* with an accent on the 'o' but without the 'y'."
Correction: Always use the 'y': *creyó*. The accent is necessary because the word is stressed on the last syllable.
⭐ Usage Tips
Subject Pronouns
Since creyó can mean 'he believed,' 'she believed,' or 'you (formal) believed,' it's often helpful to include the subject (Él, Ella, Usted) for clarity.
He thought (creyó) it was raining outside.
📝 In Action
Ella creyó que la reunión era a las 3, pero se equivocó.
B1She thought the meeting was at 3, but she was wrong.
Él creyó que el camino era más corto.
B1He thought the road was shorter.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: creyó
Question 1 of 2
Which subject pronoun CANNOT be used with the verb form 'creyó'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'creyó' have a 'y' instead of an 'i'?
This is a spelling rule for verbs like *creer* in the simple past (preterite) tense. When the letter 'i' is surrounded by vowels (like the *e* and *ó*), Spanish changes the 'i' to a 'y' (*cre-y-ó*) to make the word easier to pronounce and flow better.
If I want to say 'He was believing' (ongoing action), should I use 'creyó'?
No. *Creyó* means the action finished completely ('He believed'). For ongoing actions in the past, you should use the Imperfect tense: *creía* ('He was believing' or 'He used to believe').