Inklingo

How to Say "to produce" in Spanish

English → Spanish

producir

proh-doo-SEER/pɾo.ðuˈsiɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'producir' when you mean to manufacture, create, or generate something, especially in a commercial or industrial context, or to make something happen.
A simplified factory setting showing a small machine actively dropping a newly manufactured bright red toy car onto a conveyor belt.

Examples

Esta fábrica produce más de cien coches al día.

This factory produces more than a hundred cars a day.

La tierra produjo una cosecha excelente este año.

The land yielded an excellent harvest this year.

Necesitamos producir más energía renovable.

We need to generate more renewable energy.

Mi hermana quiere producir un documental sobre la vida marina.

My sister wants to produce a documentary about marine life.

The 'Yo' Form Trick

In the 'yo' form of the present tense (I produce), the 'c' changes to 'zc' (produzco). This pattern is shared by many verbs ending in -ucir, like conducir or traducir.

Forgetting the 'J' in the Past

Mistake: “Yo producí (using the regular pattern)”

Correction: Yo produje. The preterite (simple past) uses an irregular 'j' stem, making it 'produje, produjiste,' etc.

producir

proh-doo-SEER/pɾo.ðuˈsiɾ/

verbB2general
Use 'producir' when referring to financing and managing the creation of a creative work like a film or show.
A simplified factory setting showing a small machine actively dropping a newly manufactured bright red toy car onto a conveyor belt.

Examples

Mi hermana quiere producir un documental sobre la vida marina.

My sister wants to produce a documentary about marine life.

Esta fábrica produce más de cien coches al día.

This factory produces more than a hundred cars a day.

La tierra produjo una cosecha excelente este año.

The land yielded an excellent harvest this year.

Necesitamos producir más energía renovable.

We need to generate more renewable energy.

The 'Yo' Form Trick

In the 'yo' form of the present tense (I produce), the 'c' changes to 'zc' (produzco). This pattern is shared by many verbs ending in -ucir, like conducir or traducir.

Forgetting the 'J' in the Past

Mistake: “Yo producí (using the regular pattern)”

Correction: Yo produje. The preterite (simple past) uses an irregular 'j' stem, making it 'produje, produjiste,' etc.

criar

kree-AR/kɾiˈaɾ/

verbC1general
Use 'criar' specifically when something (often a negative condition) generates or causes something else to develop, particularly undesirable outcomes like smells or mold.
A close-up view of an old, simple metal bucket heavily covered in orange rust spots.

Examples

La falta de ventilación cría humedad y malos olores.

Lack of ventilation produces humidity and bad smells.

Ese ambiente cría mucha envidia entre los compañeros.

That environment generates a lot of envy among colleagues.

Producir vs. Criar for Undesirable Outcomes

Learners often incorrectly use 'producir' when 'criar' is more suitable for generating negative or unwanted results. Remember, 'criar' implies the development or fostering of something undesirable, like mold or bad habits, while 'producir' is more about general creation or manufacturing.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.