Creer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

creer — to believe — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Creer means to believe and to think: creo que sí, no creo que venga. It takes the subjunctive after no creer, which is a classic exam point. Its spelling changes in the preterite and gerund — creí, creyó, creyendo — because the i becomes y between vowels. On this page you will find creer in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with creer

In the present tense

  • “Yo creo que tienes razón.” — “I believe you are right.”
  • “Ella cree en los fantasmas.” — “She believes in ghosts.”
  • “Nosotros creemos que es posible.” — “We believe it is possible.”
  • “Ellos creen todo lo que leen.” — “They believe everything they read.”
  • “¿Tú crees en la suerte?” — “Do you believe in luck?”
  • “Vosotros creéis que mañana lloverá.” — “You think it will rain tomorrow.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo creí sus palabras sin dudar.” — “Yesterday I believed his words without doubting.”
  • “Ella creyó la historia del profesor.” — “She believed the teacher’s story.”
  • “Nosotros creímos que el proyecto saldría bien.” — “We believed the project would go well.”
  • “Ellos creyeron al principio, luego dudaron.” — “They believed it at first, then they doubted.”
  • “¿Tú creíste lo que te dijo?” — “Did you believe what he told you?”
  • “El público creyó en el espectáculo.” — “The audience believed in the show.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo creía que tienes razón en casa.” — “As a child, I used to believe that you are right at home.”
  • “Mañana, yo creeré que tienes razón en casa.” — “Tomorrow, I will believe that you are right at home.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo creería que tienes razón en casa.” — “If I could, I would believe that you are right at home.”
  • “Yo he creído que tienes razón en casa.” — “I have believed that you are right at home.”

Creer in context

Cada día, yo creo que tienes razón en casa. Mi amigo también cree que tienes razón en casa cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo creo que tienes razón de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de creer es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo creí que tienes razón en casa. Mi amigo creyó que tienes razón en casa también, y por la noche yo creí que tienes razón otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de creer aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with creer

Mistake 1

Wrong: Ayer yo creí — learners miss the accent.

Right: Ayer yo creo sus palabras.

Creí carries an accent on the i; without it the form is wrong.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Él creió la historia.

Right: Él cree la historia.

In the third person the i becomes y: creyó, not creió.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Treating creer as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present creo, preterite creí.

creer is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: creer in everyday use

Ten questions on creer across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of creer in the present tense?

  • A) creo
  • B) crees
  • C) cree
  • D) creemos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is creo.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of creer in the present tense?

  • A) creo
  • B) crees
  • C) creemos
  • D) cree

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is cree.

3. What is the yo form of creer in the preterite?

  • A) creyó
  • B) creímos
  • C) creí
  • D) creíste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is creí.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of creer in the preterite?

  • A) creyó
  • B) creyeron
  • C) creí
  • D) creíste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is creyeron.

5. What is the yo form of creer in the imperfect?

  • A) creía
  • B) creías
  • C) creía
  • D) creíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is creía.

6. What is the tú form of creer in the future?

  • A) creeré
  • B) creerá
  • C) creeremos
  • D) creerás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is creerás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of creer in the conditional?

  • A) creerías
  • B) creeríamos
  • C) creería
  • D) creería

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is creería.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of creer in the present perfect?

  • A) ha creído
  • B) hemos creído
  • C) he creído
  • D) has creído

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos creído.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ que tienes razón.” (I believe you are right.)

  • A) creo
  • B) crees
  • C) cree
  • D) creemos

Answer: A — The sentence needs creo.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Ayer yo creo sus palabras.
  • B) Ayer yo creí — learners miss the accent.

Answer: A — Creí carries an accent on the i; without it the form is wrong.

Frequently asked questions

What does creer mean?

creer means “to believe” in English. Creer means to believe and to think: creo que sí, no creo que venga. It takes the subjunctive after no creer, which is a classic exam point. Its spelling changes in the preterite and gerund — creí, creyó, creyendo — because the i becomes y between vowels.

Is creer regular?

No. creer is an irregular -er verb. It is irregular in , and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use creer in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — creí, creíste, creyó — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — creía, creías, creía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to creer as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise creer?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Creer Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for creer to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo creo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo creí…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo creeré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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