How to Say "to swell" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to swell” is “aumentar” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El nivel del río aumentó después de la lluvia.
The river level rose after the rain.
La población ha aumentado dramáticamente en la última década.
The population has grown dramatically in the last decade.
El costo de la vida sigue aumentando.
The cost of living keeps rising.
Intransitive Use (No Direct Object)
In this sense, 'aumentar' is intransitive. The subject of the sentence (e.g., 'the river level') is the thing that is doing the increasing, and no other person or thing is causing the action.
The Role of 'Se' (Aumentarse)
Sometimes you will see 'aumentarse' (reflexive form) when the increase is perceived as happening automatically or affecting the subject directly, especially related to personal things like family or weight: 'Mi familia se ha aumentado' (My family has grown).
Misusing 'Crecer'
Mistake: “El precio creció. (The price grew.)”
Correction: El precio aumentó. (The price increased.) – 'Crecer' is usually for living things (people, plants); 'aumentar' is better for numbers, prices, and abstract concepts.
Related Translations
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