Crecer Conjugation in Spanish
crecer means "to grow" 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 growing — children, plants, companies, numbers and anything that gets bigger, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of crecer 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. Crecer is a irregular (go-verb: -c becomes -zc in the yo form) -er 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: Los niños crecen mucho cada año. — "Children grow a lot every year.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: crecer
- English: to grow
- Verb type: Irregular (go-verb: -c becomes -zc in the yo form) -er verb
- Gerund: creciendo
- Past participle: crecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + crecido)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of crecer with all six persons. The gerund is creciendo and the past participle is crecido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crezco |
| tú | creces |
| él/ella/Ud. | crece |
| nosotros/as | crecemos |
| vosotros/as | crecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecen |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crecí |
| tú | creciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | creció |
| nosotros/as | crecimos |
| vosotros/as | crecisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crecía |
| tú | crecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | crecía |
| nosotros/as | crecíamos |
| vosotros/as | crecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creceré |
| tú | crecerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | crecerá |
| nosotros/as | creceremos |
| vosotros/as | creceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crecería |
| tú | crecerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | crecería |
| nosotros/as | creceríamos |
| vosotros/as | creceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he crecido |
| tú | has crecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha crecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos crecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis crecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han crecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había crecido |
| tú | habías crecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había crecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos crecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais crecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían crecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré crecido |
| tú | habrás crecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá crecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos crecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis crecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán crecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría crecido |
| tú | habrías crecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría crecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos crecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais crecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían crecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | crezca |
| tú | crezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | crezca |
| nosotros/as | crezcamos |
| vosotros/as | crecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crezcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | creciera |
| tú | crecieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | creciera |
| nosotros/as | creciéramos |
| vosotros/as | crecierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crecieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | crece |
| él/ella/Ud. | crezca |
| nosotros/as | crezcamos |
| vosotros/as | creced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crezcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | crezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | crezca |
| nosotros/as | crezcamos |
| vosotros/as | crecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | crezcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | creciendo |
| Past participle | crecido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with crecer, 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 crezco mucho.
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 crecí mucho.
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 crecía mucho.
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 creceré mucho.
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 crecería mucho 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 crecido mucho.
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 crecido mucho 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 crecido mucho.
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 crecido mucho 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 crezca mucho.
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 creciera mucho, 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: ¡Crece mucho!
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 crezcas mucho.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with crecer, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Los niños crecen mucho cada año. — "Children grow a lot every year."
- ¿Tú creces mucho este año? — "Are you growing a lot this year?"
- Mi hijo creció mucho el año pasado. — "My son grew a lot last year."
- Las plantas crecían mucho en primavera. — "The plants used to grow a lot in spring."
- La empresa crecerá mucho el próximo año. — "The company will grow a lot next year."
- Yo crecería mucho si comiera mejor. — "I would grow a lot if I ate better."
- El árbol ya ha crecido mucho. — "The tree has already grown a lot."
- Espero que crezca mucho este verano. — "I hope it grows a lot this summer."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with crecer — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo cresco mucho. → Right: Yo crezco mucho.. Crecer is a go-verb: the yo form is crezco, with zc, not cresco. The same pattern appears in nacer (nazco) and conocer (conozco).
- Wrong: *Ellos crecen mucho — learners sometimes write crezen by over-applying the zc. → Right: Ellos crecen mucho.. Only the yo form takes the zc: crezco. All the other present forms are regular: creces, crece, crecemos, crecéis, crecen.
- Wrong: *Espero que crezcas mucho — some learners write crezcas correctly but others write crezcas with the wrong stem; the subjunctive keeps the zc: crezca. → Right: Espero que crezca mucho.. The present subjunctive is built on the yo form, so it keeps the zc: crezca, crezcas, crezca, crezcamos. The accent pattern is regular.
- Wrong: *El niño creció mucho — learners often drop the accent: crecio. → Right: El niño creció mucho.. The preterite third person is creció, with an accent on the o. The preterite is otherwise regular for crecer.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on crecer. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of crecer in the present indicative?
- a) crece
- b) crezco
- c) creces
- d) crecemos
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of crecer in the preterite (past)?
- a) creció
- b) crecí
- c) crecimos
- d) creciste
What is the nosotros/as form of crecer in the imperfect (past)?
- a) crecíamos
- b) crecía
- c) crecía
- d) crecías
What is the tú form of crecer in the future?
- a) creceremos
- b) creceré
- c) crecerá
- d) crecerás
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of crecer in the conditional?
- a) crecerían
- b) crecerías
- c) crecería
- d) crecería
What is the yo form of crecer in the present subjunctive?
- a) crezca
- b) crezcamos
- c) crezca
- d) crezcas
What is the gerund of crecer?
- a) crecer
- b) creciendo
- c) crecido
- d) crece
What is the past participle of crecer?
- a) crezco
- b) he crecido
- c) creciendo
- d) crecido
What does crecer mean in English?
- a) to get sick
- b) to allow, to permit
- c) to grow
- d) to visit
The form crecí belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Present
- c) Preterite
- d) Imperfect
Answer key
- crezco — The yo form in the present indicative is crezco — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- creció — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is creció — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crecíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is crecíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crecerás — The tú form in the future is crecerás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crecerían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is crecerían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- crezca — The yo form in the present subjunctive is crezca — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- creciendo — The gerund is creciendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy creciendo). The past participle is crecido.
- crecido — The past participle is crecido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he crecido).
- to grow — crecer means "to grow".
- Preterite — crecí is the yo form of the preterite of crecer — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is crecía.
Frequently asked questions
Is crecer regular?
Almost. Crecer is irregular only in the yo form (crezco) and the present subjunctive built on it (crezca, crezcas). Every other form is regular: creces, crece, crecemos, creció, crecía, creceré, crecido.
Why is it crezco and not cresco?
Spanish inserts a z before c when the c would be pronounced as s before o: crezco. It is the same spelling rule that gives us conozco (conocer) and nazco (nacer). The sound stays the same; only the spelling changes.
What is the difference between crecer and criar?
Crecer means to grow, while criar means to raise or bring up (children, animals). A child grows (crece); parents raise (crían) the child. For plants, crecer is the verb; for animals, criar is common.
How do you say "to grow up" in Spanish?
Crecer — the same verb covers growing up: Crecí en Madrid means "I grew up in Madrid". For plants and numbers, crecer also works: La empresa creció mucho.
Related pages
- Crecer in the present tense — the present tense of crecer in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Crecer examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with crecer and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where crecer sits among the irregular verbs, grouped by pattern.
- Nacer conjugation — another verb in the same family as crecer.
- Envejecer conjugation — another verb in the same family as crecer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise crecer with this tool.
- Irregular Verb Finder — practise crecer with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.