creárselas

Creárselas is a colloquial Spanish verb phrase formed by the verb crear in its infinitive with the reflexive pronoun se and the clitic las, yielding creárselas. The sense is to fabricate or invent something for oneself, usually in order to justify, explain, or present an idea, story, excuse, or pretext. The construction is commonly used with feminine plural nouns that stand in for the thing created, such as excusas, historias, mentiras, or argumentos.

Meaning and usage

In everyday speech, creárselas conveys the act of inventing or devising something to suit a purpose, often with a negative or humorous connotation. It is typical in informal register and widely heard in many Spanish-speaking regions. The nuance centers on self-generated content rather than something genuine, and it is frequently connected to excuses or tall tales.

Grammar and regional notes

Creárselas is a pronominal verb that can be conjugated like other reflexive verbs, with the pronoun se accompanying the infinitive or the conjugated form (e.g., se las creó, se las está creando, se las voy a crear). The las refers to a feminine plural antecedent in the discourse context, such as excusas or historias. Regional variations may favor creárselas over crearlas, or prefer alternative expressions such as crear historias or inventar pretextos.

Examples

- Se las creó para justificar su ausencia. (He invented them to justify his absence.)

- Está tratando de creárselas para impresionar a todos. (He is trying to create them to impress everyone.)

Related terms include crear historias, inventar excusas, and mentiras, all within informal speech.