creció
/kɾeθjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'grew up' is translated into Spanish as creció.
The term is used to describe the process of spending one's childhood and becoming an adult. In Spanish, the verb used for both increasing in physical size and the process of maturing is the same. The phrase Me crié can also be used to mean 'grew up' and implies the process of upbringing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word creció is the third-person singular preterite form of the infinitive crecer. Depending on who you are talking about, you may need different forms: use crecí for 'I grew up' and crecimos for 'we grew up'.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɾeθjo/
Did you know?
- When you use the phrase criarse en la calle, it doesn't just mean someone spent their childhood outdoors. It often carries a heavy connotation that the person was 'raised by the streets', implying a lack of traditional parental guidance.
- The word criatura shares a root with criarse and can mean both 'child' and 'creature'. This highlights the connection between the act of being raised and the state of being a created living thing.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, you might hear people use the phrase hacerse grande to mean 'growing up'. This literally translates to 'making oneself big' and is often used when talking to children.
Examples in context
- Tom creció en Boston.Tom grew up in Boston.This sentence shows how to use creció to state where someone grew up.Tatoeba #1296998 by marcelostockle, translation #1025625 by CK
- Él creció en Australia.He grew up in Australia.This sentence demonstrates the use of creció regarding a location.Tatoeba #3033147 by marcelostockle, translation #1438820 by Anon
- Nuestro hijo creció rápido.Our son grew up fast.This sentence uses creció to describe the speed of growth.Tatoeba #13370578 by Lernema, translation #13370365 by Ergulis
- Me crié en un entorno familiar muy estructurado.I grew up in a very structured family environment.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about their childhoods.
- Javier¿En qué ciudad creció tu hermano?In which city did your brother grow up?
- ElenaÉl creció en un pueblo pequeño.He grew up in a small town.
- JavierQué interesante, yo crecí en la capital.How interesting, I grew up in the capital.
- ElenaEs muy diferente a donde él creció.It is very different from where he grew up.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
