How to Say "to nurse" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to nurse” is “alimentar” — use 'alimentar' when referring to providing food to someone who is sick or unable to feed themselves, or generally feeding an animal..
alimentar
/ah-lee-men-TAR//ali.menˈtaɾ/
Examples
El enfermero alimenta al paciente con cuidado.
The nurse feeds the patient carefully.
Yo alimento a mi perro dos veces al día.
I feed my dog twice a day.
La madre alimenta al bebé con una cuchara.
The mother feeds the baby with a spoon.
Debemos alimentar bien a los niños para que crezcan fuertes.
We must nourish the children well so they grow up strong.
Using 'A' with People
When 'alimentar' is followed by a specific person or pet, you must use the word 'a' before them (e.g., alimentar a mi hijo). This is the 'personal a'.
Confusing 'Alimentar' and 'Comer'
Mistake: “El perro come la comida. (Intending to say: The dog is fed the food.)”
Correction: El perro es alimentado con la comida. ('Comer' means the subject eats; 'alimentar' means the subject gives food.)
criar
kree-AR/kɾiˈaɾ/
Examples
Mis abuelos criaron a sus hijos en un pueblo pequeño.
My grandparents raised their children in a small town.
Ellos criaron a tres hijos en el campo.
They raised three children in the countryside.
¿Quién te crió? ¿Tu abuela?
Who brought you up? Your grandmother?
The Stress on the 'i'
Notice the accent mark over the 'i' in the present tense (crío, crías, cría, crían). This is because the stress falls on the 'i', separating it from the 'a'. This is why it acts like a regular verb but looks a little irregular!
Confusing 'Criar' and 'Crear'
Mistake: “Using 'crear' when you mean 'to raise' ('Yo creo mis hijos').”
Correction: Use 'criar' (Yo crío mis hijos). 'Crear' means 'to create' (like art or a new idea).
Feeding vs. Raising
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