Inklingo
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A group of three children standing together, looking up at a large, glowing star in the night sky with expressions of wonder and shared conviction.

creían

kreh-EE-ahn

verbA2irregular er
they believed?referring to a group of people having a thought or opinion in the past,they used to believe?referring to a continuous or habitual belief in the past
Also:you all believed?used with 'ustedes' in Latin America or formal situations elsewhere

Quick Reference

gerundcreyendo
past Participlecreído
infinitivecreer

📝 In Action

Ellos creían que la Tierra era plana.

A2

They believed that the Earth was flat.

Mis padres creían en mis sueños.

A2

My parents used to believe in my dreams.

Ustedes creían que no íbamos a venir.

B1

You all thought that we weren't going to come.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pensaban (they thought)
  • opinaban (they were of the opinion)

Antonyms

  • dudaban (they doubted)
  • desconfiaban (they mistrusted)

Common Collocations

  • creían que sí – they thought so
  • creían en Dios – they believed in God

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Background' Past

Use 'creían' when you are describing a state of mind or a belief that was ongoing in the past, rather than a single event.

The Accent Mark

The 'í' in 'creían' always needs an accent mark to make sure you pronounce the 'e' and the 'i' as two separate sounds.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Creían vs Creyeron

Mistake: "Using 'creyeron' to describe how someone felt for a long time."

Correction: Use 'creían' for ongoing thoughts. 'Creyeron' is for a specific moment when they suddenly believed something or found out the truth.

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing 'They thought'

In stories, use 'creían' to set the scene: 'They believed (creían) everything was fine until...' helps build the background.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescreyeran
yocreyera
túcreyeras
vosotroscreyerais
nosotroscreyéramos
él/ella/ustedcreyera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescrean
yocrea
túcreas
vosotroscreáis
nosotroscreamos
él/ella/ustedcrea

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescreyeron
yocreí
túcreíste
vosotroscreísteis
nosotroscreímos
él/ella/ustedcreyó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescreían
yocreía
túcreías
vosotroscreíais
nosotroscreíamos
él/ella/ustedcreía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescreen
yocreo
túcrees
vosotroscreéis
nosotroscreemos
él/ella/ustedcree
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ 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

creer(to believe) - verb
creencia(belief) - noun
creyente(believer) - noun
increíble(incredible) - adjective

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.