Creer Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of creer — to believe — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. 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. This page gives you the complete present tense table for creer, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo creo que tienes razón.” — “I believe you are right”.

Present tense conjugation of creer

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for creer. Creer is an irregular -er verb, so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — creer

Person Form
yo creo
tú crees
él/ella/Ud. cree
nosotros/as creemos
vosotros/as creéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. creen

The gerund of creer is creyendo and the past participle is creído. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of creer is formed

The present tense of creer does not follow the regular pattern. If creer were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → creo, tú → crees, él/ella/Ud. → cree, nosotros/as → creemos, vosotros/as → creéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → creen — but creer breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are creo, crees, cree, creemos, creéis and creen.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, creéis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of creer

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with creer: “Yo creo que tienes razón.” — “I believe you are right”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with creer: “Ella cree en los fantasmas.” — “She believes in ghosts”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with creer: “Nosotros creemos que es posible.” — “We believe it is possible”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with creer: “Ellos creen todo lo que leen.” — “They believe everything they read”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: creer now, creer later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo creo que tienes razón todos los días.” — “I believe that you are right every day.”

  • Future: “Yo creeré que tienes razón mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will believe that you are right.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella cree que tienes razón ahora.” — “She believes that you are right now.”

  • Future: “Ella creerá que tienes razón la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will believe that you are right.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros creemos que tienes razón en clase.” — “We believe that you are right in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros creeremos que tienes razón el lunes.” — “On Monday we will believe that you are right.”

Example sentences: creer in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of creer, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with creer in the present tense

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.

Quiz: creer in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of creer. 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 tú form of creer in the present tense?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is crees.

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

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

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

4. What is the nosotros/as form of creer in the present tense?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is creemos.

5. 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.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ en los fantasmas.” (She believes in ghosts.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs cree.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Él cree la historia.
  • B) Él creió la historia.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is creer regular in the present tense?

No. creer is irregular in the present tense: the forms are creo, crees, cree, creemos, creéis and creen. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

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

It is creo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for creer it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of creer instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of creer?

Say the six forms aloud in order — creo, crees, cree, creemos, creéis, creen — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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