crecer

Crecer is a Spanish verb that means to grow or to increase in size, importance, or complexity. It can refer to the physical growth of living beings or plants, as well as to the development or expansion of phenomena such as economies, populations, markets, or skills. The term is also used in a figurative sense, for example to describe maturation, advancement, or improvement over time.

Etymology and related terms: Crecer comes from the Latin crescere, meaning to grow or increase. The noun form for the process is crecimiento, and related adjectives include creciente (growing) and creciente (increasing).

Grammatical notes: Crecer is an -er verb with a stem change in the present tense. The forms in the present indicative are: yo crezco, tú creces, él/ella/usted crece, nosotros crecemos, vosotros crecéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes crecen. The preterite is regular for a verb of this class: yo crecí, tú creciste, él creció, nosotros crecimos, vosotros crecisteis, ellos crecieron. The imperfect is crecía, crecías, crecía, crecíamos, crecíais, crecían. Subjunctive present: crezca, crezcas, crezca, crezcamos, crezcáis, crezcan. The imperative affirmative forms include: tú crece, usted crezca, nosotros crezcamos, vosotros creced, ustedes crezcan; negative tú no crezcas.

Usage examples: El niño crece muy rápido. (The child grows very quickly.) La economía de la región está creciendo. (The region’s economy is growing.) En su juventud, creció en confianza y habilidades; ahora es más competente. Crecimiento is the noun for the process, while creciente means increasing or growing.

See also: crecimiento, creciente.