A colorful storybook illustration of a young person sitting alone, holding a small, slightly translucent glowing star in their hands, looking reflective and thoughtful about a past memory.

creías

kray-EE-as

VerbA1irregular (spelling/accent) er

you used to believe?Past habit or state of mind (tú form),you thought?Past opinion or assumption (tú form)

Also:you were believing?Past continuous action (less common usage of 'creer')

Quick Reference

infinitivecreer

gerundcreyendo

past Participlecreído

📝 In Action

¿De verdad creías que era tan fácil?

Did you really believe that it was that easy?

Antes no creías en fantasmas, ¿qué cambió?

Before, you didn't use to believe in ghosts. What changed?

Creías que la reunión empezaba a las nueve, pero era a las diez.

You thought the meeting started at nine, but it was at ten.

Word Connections

Synonyms

pensabas (you thought (past))
suponías (you supposed (past))

Antonyms

dudabas (you doubted (past))

Common Collocations

creías en mí – you believed in me
creías que sí – you thought so

💡 Grammar Points

The Imperfect Tense Function

'Creías' describes a state of mind, opinion, or habit that lasted over a period of time in the past. It sets the scene, rather than marking a single, finished event.

The Crucial Accent

The accent on the 'i' (creías) is necessary to ensure the word has three syllables (cre-í-as) and sounds correct. It prevents the 'e' and 'i' from blending into a quick single sound.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Imperfect vs. Preterite

Mistake: "Using 'creíste' when you mean a habitual past belief."

Correction: Use 'creías' for habitual belief ('You used to believe'). Use 'creíste' for a single moment of belief or realization ('You believed it just then').

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Past Assumptions

Use 'creías' when correcting someone's past mistake about a fact or situation: 'Creías que el banco estaba abierto, pero no lo estaba.' (You thought the bank was open, but it wasn't.)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcree

yocreo

túcrees

ellos/ellas/ustedescreen

nosotroscreemos

vosotroscreéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcreía

yocreía

túcreías

ellos/ellas/ustedescreían

nosotroscreíamos

vosotroscreíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcreyó

yocreí

túcreíste

ellos/ellas/ustedescreyeron

nosotroscreímos

vosotroscreísteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcrea

yocrea

túcreas

ellos/ellas/ustedescrean

nosotroscreamos

vosotroscreáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcreyera

yocreyera

túcreyeras

ellos/ellas/ustedescreyeran

nosotroscreyéramos

vosotroscreyerais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: creías

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'creías' to describe a past habit?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

creer(to believe) - verb

creencia(belief) - noun

creyente(believer) - adjective/noun

increíble(incredible) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'creías' have an accent mark?

The accent on the 'í' is used to break up the vowel sound, ensuring that 'e' and 'i' are pronounced separately (cre-í-as) rather than blended together quickly. This happens in the imperfect tense of many -er and -ir verbs when the stem ends in a vowel.

What is the difference between 'creías' and 'pensabas'?

Both mean 'you thought' or 'you believed' in the past. 'Creías' usually relates to faith, trust, or holding a strong opinion. 'Pensabas' is often used for mental processes, planning, or simple opinions.