Creí

Creí is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb creer in the simple past (pretérito perfecto simple) indicative. It expresses a completed act of believing in the past and is commonly translated as “I believed” or “I thought,” depending on the context.

Conjugation in the preterite is: yo creí, tú creíste, él creyó, nosotros creímos, vosotros creísteis, ellos creyeron. Note the orthographic changes: the first-person forms carry an accented i (creí, creíste), while the third-person forms shift to creer’s stem by adding y (creyó for él/ella; creyeron for ellos/ellas). The spelling reflects the phonetic shift from -er to -yer in the third person.

Usage commonly describes a past belief or judgment that was true for a specific moment or event. It contrasts with creía, the imperfect form used for habitual beliefs, ongoing states, or background descriptions. Examples: “Ayer creí en su historia” and “Creí que vendrías, pero no llegaste.” In narrative, creí often marks a definite belief that later proved incorrect or was resolved in the story.

Etymology and related terms: creí comes from the Latin credere, the same root as creer, creíble, creencia, and creyente. The verb’s irregular preterite forms, especially in the third person, reflect historical Spanish orthography and pronunciation changes common to the verb creer.