crecer
/kɾeˈθeɾ/
The English phrase "grow up" is translated into Spanish as crecer.
The verb crecer is used to describe the process of maturing and becoming an adult. It is also used to describe growing in physical size or height.
Meaning: to mature and become an adult (verb)
Which one should you use?
While crecer refers to both physical growth and maturing into an adult, you can also use Madurar specifically when referring to personal growth or reaching adulthood.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle crecido can be used as an adjective to describe someone who is grown or mature.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɾeˈθeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the reflexive form crecerse to mean "to grow up". In Spanish, crecerse often implies becoming arrogant or overestimating one's abilities.
Did you know?
- The English word 'crescent' and the Spanish verb crecer share the same ancient ancestor, describing the way a moon or a person becomes larger.
- Spanish uses madurar for the emotional side of growing up, which shares the same root as 'maduro' meaning 'ripe' for fruit.
- The verb crecer is used in Spanish to describe the rising level of a river during a flood, whereas English usually uses 'swell' or 'rise'.
Examples in context
- Sami crecerá algún día y tomará decisiones.Sami will grow up one day and he will make decisions.This sentence shows the use of crecer regarding future maturity and decision-making.Tatoeba #13681702 by Seael, translation #6448240 by OsoHombre
- Al crecer muchas cosas dejan de fascinarnos.A lot of things stop fascinating us when we grow up.This sentence illustrates how growing up affects one's interests using crecer.Tatoeba #5452645 by Seael, translation #9870435 by DJ_Saidez
- Si querés crecer, tenés que tomar mucha leche.If you want to grow up, you have to drink a lot of milk.This sentence uses crecer in the context of a conditional statement about physical or developmental growth.Tatoeba #4762586 by DarkHollow, translation #3214854 by danieljtah
- Es importante madurar emocionalmente para enfrentar los desafíos de la vida.It is important to mature emotionally to face life's challenges.
- Para desarrollarse profesionalmente, es necesario invertir en aprendizaje constante.To grow professionally, it is necessary to invest in continuous learning.
- ¡Te estás haciendo grande tan rápido! Parece que fue ayer cuando eras un bebé.You're growing up so fast! It feels like yesterday when you were a baby.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are looking at an old childhood photo.
- DanielMira esta foto, cuánto hemos cambiado.Look at this photo, how much we have changed.
- SofíaEs increíble lo rápido que podemos crecer.It is incredible how fast we can grow up.
- DanielYo no quería crecer tan rápido.I didn't want to grow up so fast.
- SofíaAhora tenemos más libertad, Daniel.Now we have more freedom, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grow up” translations and entries crecer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crecer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
