creían
“creían” means “they believed” in Spanish (referring to a group of people having a thought or opinion in the past).
they believed, they used to believe
Also: you all believed
📝 In Action
Ellos creían que la Tierra era plana.
A2They believed that the Earth was flat.
Mis padres creían en mis sueños.
A2My parents used to believe in my dreams.
Ustedes creían que no íbamos a venir.
B1You all thought that we weren't going to come.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: creían
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'creían' to say 'They used to believe in ghosts'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'credere', which means to trust or entrust.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'creían' also mean 'you all believed'?
Yes! In Latin America, 'ustedes' (you all) uses the same verb form as 'ellos/ellas' (they), so 'creían' works for both.
Why does it have an accent on the 'i'?
The accent mark is used to break the vowel combination (diphthong), ensuring the 'i' is stressed and pronounced clearly as its own syllable: kre-EE-ahn.