criar

criar(
kryahr
)
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
transitive verb
1. (to nurture)
a. to raise
Mis padres me criaron en la fe cristiana.My parents raised me in the Christian faith.
b. to bring up
Ha criado a tres hijos ella sola.She brought up three children by herself.
2. (to give milk to)
a. to breastfeed (with breast milk)
La nodriza criaba al bebé en lugar de la madre.The wet nurse breastfed the baby instead of the mother.
b. to feed (with bottle)
Estoy criando a mi bebé con leche maternizada.I'm feeding my baby on formula milk.
c. to suckle (animal)
La perra criaba a los gatitos como si fueran suyos.The bitch suckled the kittens as if they were her own.
3. (stockbreeding)
a. to raise
Este año voy a criar más vacas.I'm going to raise more cows this year.
b. to keep
¿Sabías que mis vecinos crían pollos?Did you know that my neighbors kept chickens?
c. to breed (allowing reproduction)
Mis tíos criaban pavos en su granja.My uncle and aunt bred turkeys on their farm.
4. (to cultivate)
a. to grow
Quiero criar setas en casa.I'd like to grow mushrooms at home.
5. (winemaking)
a. to age
La bodega cría todos sus vinos en barricas de roble.The winery ages all its wine in oak barrels.
6. (to produce)
a. to get
Tengo que comer menos porque estoy criando barriga.I need to eat less because I'm getting a belly.
b. to gather (dust or filth)
Esa lámpara rota está ahí criando polvo.That broken lamp is just gathering dust there.
c.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Si los alimentos crían moho, deshágase de ellos inmediatamente.If food goes moldy, get rid of it straight away.
El hombre aullaba mientras sus manos y sus brazos empezaban a criar vello.The man howled as his hands and arms started to became hairy.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).
intransitive verb
7. (to nurse)
a. to breastfeed (woman)
Me dijo Estefanía que no podía criar.Estefanía told me that she was unable to breastfeed.
8. (to have litters)
a. to breed
Estas cerdas no están listas para criar aún.These sows aren't ready to breed yet.
9. (to mature)
a. to be aged
Nuestro tequila ha sido criado en barricas durante cinco años.Our tequila has been aged in wooden barrels for five years.
criarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).
pronominal verb
10. (to develop)
a. to grow up (person)
Mi padre se crio en las montañas.My father grew up in the mountains.
b. to be brought up (person)
Me crié con mis abuelos porque mis padres tuvieron que irse a trabajar al extranjero.I was brought up by my grandparents as my parents had to go and work abroad.
c. to be bred (animal)
Todas las aves que vendemos se crían aquí.All the birds we sell are bred here.
d. to be reared (person or animal)
Estos tigres se criaron en cautividad.These tigers were reared in captivity.
Copyright © Curiosity Media Inc.
criar
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
transitive verb
1. (animales)
a. to breed, to rear
2. (flores, árboles)
a. to grow
3. (educar)
a. to bring up
nos criaron en el respeto a los demáswe were brought up to respect others
4. (amamantar; sujeto: mujer)
a. to breastfeed
5. (sujeto: animal)
a. to suckle
6. (vino)
a. to mature
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).
pronominal verb
7. (crecer)
a. to grow up
8. (educarse)
a. to be educated
el cachorro se crió en cautividadthe cub was reared in captivity
9. (reproducirse)
a. to breed
Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited
criar
transitive verb
1 (educar) [+niño] to bring up; raise; especialmente (EEUU)
los crió su abuela hasta los diez años they were brought up o raised by their grandmother till they were ten
no me veo capacitado para criar a un hijo
Dios los cría y ellos se juntan birds of a feather flock together
2 (amamantar) to nurse; suckle; feed
al niño lo crió su tía the baby was nursed o suckled o fed by his aunt; criar con biberón to bottle-feed; criar con el pecho to breast-feed
3 [+ganado] to rear; raise; [+aves de corral] to breed; (para competición) to breed
se dedica a criar caballos de carreras No sé a qué perros debemos criar y qué perros debemos adquirir areas dedicadas en parte a criar venados para las monterías se necesita más cantidad de una sustancia, se pueden criar más terneros el hombre empezó a criar en granjas diferentes animales de peletería Han logrado criar pollos y pavos, y están tratando de cultivar hortalizas. algunas hasta se han animado a criar gallinas y pavos
cría cuervos (que te sacarán los ojos)
qué mala suerte tuvo con sus hijos; ya sabes, cría cuervos ... she's been so unlucky with her children, after all she's done for them they've repaid her with nothing but ingratitude
4 [+hortalizas] to grow
un lugar paradisíaco para criar patata
criar malvas
ya está criando malvas he's pushing up the daisies (familiar)
Ya ve que incluso la Union Liberal pasó por un mal período en cuanto el viejo O,Donnell se fue a criar malvas
5 (producir)
los perros crían pulgas dogs get fleas
este pan ha criado moho
criar barriga to get a belly (familiar); criar carnes to put on weight; esta tierra no cría malas hierbas this soil doesn't produce any weeds; criar polvo to gather dust
las casas cerradas crían mucho polvo si no te lavas la cabeza con frecuencia vas a criar piojos ir de un macdonald's a un Wendy's y hala, a criar barriga y culo solo se dedican a comer bien y a criar una buena panza de no hacer ejercicio estoy criando culo
intransitive verb
1 (tener crías) to breed
la gaviota suele criar en las rocas seagulls usually breed on rocks
los flamencos rosas han vuelto a criar en esta zona húmeda muchas aves acuden a esta zona para criar: fochas, patos, somormujos 30 parejas de milanos, que han logrado criar en roca en lugar de su hábitat natural nuestros conejos crian varias veces al año las ratas son los animales que más crian
2 (madurar) [+vino] to age; mature
este vino puesto a criar tiene una concentración alcohólica de 14-15
pronominal verb
criarse to grow up
se criaron juntos they grew up together; se ha criado con sus abuelos he was brought up o raised by his grandparents
criarse en buena cuna o en buenos pañales to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Examples
Phrases
Machine Translators
Translate criar using machine translators
See Machine Translations
Conjugations
Random Word
Roll the dice and learn a new word now!
Get a Word
Want to Learn Spanish?
Spanish learning for everyone. For free.
SpanishDict Premium
Have you tried it yet? Here's what's included:
Cheat sheets
No ads
Learn offline on iOS
Fun phrasebooks
Learn Spanish faster
Support SpanishDict
Why use the SpanishDict dictionary?

THE BEST SPANISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Get More than a Translation

Get conjugations, examples, and pronunciations for millions of words and phrases in Spanish and English.

WRITTEN BY EXPERTS

Translate with Confidence

Access millions of accurate translations written by our team of experienced English-Spanish translators.

SPANISH AND ENGLISH EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Examples for Everything

Search millions of Spanish-English example sentences from our dictionary, TV shows, and the internet.

REGIONAL TRANSLATIONS

Say It like a Local

Browse Spanish translations from Spain, Mexico, or any other Spanish-speaking country.