criar
“criar” means “to raise” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
to raise, to bring up
Also: to nurse
📝 In Action
Ellos criaron a tres hijos en el campo.
A1They raised three children in the countryside.
¿Quién te crió? ¿Tu abuela?
A2Who brought you up? Your grandmother?
to breed, to rear
Also: to farm
📝 In Action
En esta región crían ganado para exportación.
B1In this region, they breed cattle for export.
Mi tío cría gallinas y patos en su granja.
B1My uncle rears chickens and ducks on his farm.
to grow up, to be raised
Also: to form
📝 In Action
Yo me crié en la costa, cerca del mar.
A2I grew up on the coast, near the sea. (Literally: I raised myself/was raised on the coast.)
¿Dónde se criaron tus padres?
A2Where did your parents grow up?
Se crían muy mal acostumbrados.
B2They are being raised with very bad habits.
to produce, to generate
Also: to cause
📝 In Action
La falta de ventilación cría humedad y malos olores.
C1Lack of ventilation produces humidity and bad smells.
Ese ambiente cría mucha envidia entre los compañeros.
C2That environment generates a lot of envy among colleagues.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Vocabulary Collections
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "criar" in Spanish:
to breed→to cause→to farm→to form→to generate→to nurse→to produce→to raise→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: criar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive form of 'criar'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *creare*, meaning 'to create' or 'to bring forth.' Over time in Spanish, its meaning narrowed to specifically focus on the creation and nurturing of young life.
First recorded: 11th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'criar' an irregular verb?
No, 'criar' is mostly regular. It follows the standard '-ar' verb pattern. However, it requires an accent mark on the 'i' in the singular present tense (crío, cría) and the present subjunctive (críe) to show that the stress falls there, which can make it look a little different than simple regular verbs.
How do I say 'to create' in Spanish if 'criar' means 'to raise'?
If you mean 'to create' something new, like art, a document, or a theory, the correct verb is 'crear' (e.g., Yo creé este dibujo - I created this drawing). 'Criar' is almost always about nurturing life.