Crear Conjugation in Spanish
crear means "to create" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about creating — projects, art, companies, accounts and new things of any kind, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of crear in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Crear is a regular -ar verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo creo un proyecto nuevo cada año. — "I create a new project every year.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: crear
- English: to create
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Gerund: creando
- Past participle: creado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + creado)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of crear with all six persons. The gerund is creando and the past participle is creado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creo |
| tú | creas |
| él/ella/Ud. | crea |
| nosotros/as | creamos |
| vosotros/as | creáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crean |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creé |
| tú | creaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | creó |
| nosotros/as | creamos |
| vosotros/as | creasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crearon |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creaba |
| tú | creabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | creaba |
| nosotros/as | creábamos |
| vosotros/as | creabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | creaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crearé |
| tú | crearás |
| él/ella/Ud. | creará |
| nosotros/as | crearemos |
| vosotros/as | crearéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crearán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crearía |
| tú | crearías |
| él/ella/Ud. | crearía |
| nosotros/as | crearíamos |
| vosotros/as | crearíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crearían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he creado |
| tú | has creado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha creado |
| nosotros/as | hemos creado |
| vosotros/as | habéis creado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han creado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había creado |
| tú | habías creado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había creado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos creado |
| vosotros/as | habíais creado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían creado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré creado |
| tú | habrás creado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá creado |
| nosotros/as | habremos creado |
| vosotros/as | habréis creado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán creado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría creado |
| tú | habrías creado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría creado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos creado |
| vosotros/as | habríais creado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían creado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cree |
| tú | crees |
| él/ella/Ud. | cree |
| nosotros/as | creemos |
| vosotros/as | creéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | creen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creara |
| tú | crearas |
| él/ella/Ud. | creara |
| nosotros/as | creáramos |
| vosotros/as | crearais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crearan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | crea |
| él/ella/Ud. | cree |
| nosotros/as | creemos |
| vosotros/as | cread |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | creen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | crees |
| él/ella/Ud. | cree |
| nosotros/as | creemos |
| vosotros/as | creéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | creen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | creando |
| Past participle | creado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with crear, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo creo un proyecto.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo creé un proyecto.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo creaba un proyecto.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo crearé un proyecto.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo crearía un proyecto si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he creado un proyecto.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había creado un proyecto antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré creado un proyecto.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría creado un proyecto si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él cree un proyecto.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él creara un proyecto, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Crea un proyecto!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No crees un proyecto.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with crear, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo creo un proyecto nuevo cada año. — "I create a new project every year."
- ¿Tú creas un proyecto para la clase? — "Are you creating a project for the class?"
- Ayer creé un proyecto de arte. — "Yesterday I created an art project."
- Ella creaba un proyecto distinto cada mes. — "She used to create a different project every month."
- Mañana crearé un proyecto con mis compañeros. — "Tomorrow I will create a project with my classmates."
- Yo crearía un proyecto si tuviera tiempo. — "I would create a project if I had time."
- Ya he creado un proyecto para el concurso. — "I have already created a project for the competition."
- Espero que cree un proyecto original. — "I hope he creates an original project."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with crear — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo creé un proyecto — learners often write cree without the accent. → Right: Yo creé un proyecto.. The preterite yo form is creé, with an accent on the final e. Crear is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point — but without it, creé and cree (he/she creates) are confused.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú creas un proyecto. → Right: Espero que tú crees un proyecto.. Creas is the subjunctive of creer (to believe), not of crear. The subjunctive of crear uses e-endings: cree, crees, cree. After espero que, the subjunctive is required, so the right form is crees.
- Wrong: *Nosotros creamos un proyecto — learners sometimes write creemos by analogy with -er verbs. → Right: Nosotros creamos un proyecto.. Crear is an -ar verb, so the present nosotros form is creamos, not creemos. The -ar ending is -amos.
- Wrong: *Yo he creado un proyecto — some learners write he creo instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he creado un proyecto.. The perfect tenses need the participle creado after haber: he creado, not he creo.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on crear. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of crear in the present indicative?
- a) creamos
- b) crea
- c) creas
- d) creo
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of crear in the preterite (past)?
- a) creaste
- b) creó
- c) creamos
- d) creé
What is the nosotros/as form of crear in the imperfect (past)?
- a) creaba
- b) creaba
- c) creábamos
- d) creabas
What is the tú form of crear in the future?
- a) crearé
- b) crearás
- c) creará
- d) crearemos
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of crear in the conditional?
- a) crearían
- b) crearías
- c) crearía
- d) crearía
What is the yo form of crear in the present subjunctive?
- a) crees
- b) cree
- c) cree
- d) creemos
What is the gerund of crear?
- a) crea
- b) creado
- c) crear
- d) creando
What is the past participle of crear?
- a) creando
- b) creo
- c) he creado
- d) creado
What does crear mean in English?
- a) to die
- b) to try, to taste
- c) to create
- d) to hear
The form creé belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Present
- c) Imperfect
- d) Preterite
Answer key
- creo — The yo form in the present indicative is creo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- creó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is creó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- creábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is creábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crearás — The tú form in the future is crearás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crearían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is crearían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cree — The yo form in the present subjunctive is cree — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- creando — The gerund is creando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy creando). The past participle is creado.
- creado — The past participle is creado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he creado).
- to create — crear means "to create".
- Preterite — creé is the yo form of the preterite of crear — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is creaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is crear regular?
Yes, crear is a regular -ar verb: creo, creas, crea, creamos, creáis, crean. The preterite is creé, creaste, creó, and the participle is creado. Watch the accents in the preterite, which distinguish creé (I created) from cree (he/she creates).
What is the difference between crear and hacer?
Hacer is the general verb for doing and making, while crear means to bring something new into existence — a work of art, a company, a project, a world. You make (haces) dinner, but you create (creas) a novel or a business.
How do you say "to create an account" in Spanish?
Crear una cuenta — for example: Voy a crear una cuenta nueva. The same verb works for accounts, profiles, documents and projects.
Does crear take a preposition?
No. Crear takes a direct object: crear un proyecto, crear una empresa. With a person as the object, use the personal a: Dios creó al hombre, in the biblical phrase.
Related pages
- Crear in the present tense — the present tense of crear in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Crear examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with crear and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Construir conjugation — another verb in the same family as crear.
- Hacer conjugation — another verb in the same family as crear.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise crear with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise crear with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.