creciste

Creciste is the second-person singular pretérito indefinido (simple past) form of the Spanish verb crecer, meaning “you grew.” It is used to describe growth or increase that occurred during a completed past period, whether physical height or size, age, or figurative growth such as experience, skills, or confidence.

Grammatical notes: Crecer is an -er verb, and for the pretérito indefinido the form for tú is creciste. Other forms include crecí (yo), creció (él/ella/Ud.), crecimos (nosotros), crecisteis (vosotros), y crecieron (ellos/ellas/Uds.). The tú form as well as the vos form (in regions using voseo) share the same ending: creciste. The accent in the yo form helps mark the tense and pronunciation.

Usage: The word appears in narratives, conversations, and reports to indicate that growth or increase happened in the past within a defined time frame. It can refer to physical development or to non-physical growth, such as improvements in abilities or maturity.

Examples:

- Aquel verano, tú creciste varios centímetros.

- Cuando eras niño, creciste mucho en un solo año.

- Con el tiempo, creciste en confianza y responsabilidad.

Etymology: Crescer stems from Latin crescere, meaning to increase or grow.

See also: crecer, pretérito indefinido, and the related forms crecí, creció, crecimos.