criar
verbCEFR B2
What does “criar” mean in English?
to breed, to raise
to breed, to raise (to rear animals or children; criar ganado / criar a los hijos)
Example sentences
La cooperativa cría pollos de forma extensiva, sin jaulas ni antibióticos, para satisfacer la demanda de productos ecológicos.
The cooperative breeds chickens extensively, without cages or antibiotics, to meet demand for organic products.
Se crió en una familia humilde de la costa y aprendió desde pequeño el valor del esfuerzo.
He grew up in a humble coastal family and learned from a young age the value of hard work.
Criar a los hijos en un entorno bilingüe desde la infancia facilita el aprendizaje de ambas lenguas.
Raising children in a bilingual environment from childhood facilitates the learning of both languages.
How to use it
Criar means 'to breed', 'to raise', or 'to bring up'. It covers animal rearing (criar ovejas — raise sheep), child rearing (criar a los hijos — bring up children), and specialist breeding (criar razas puras — breed pedigree animals). The reflexive criarse means 'to grow up': 'me crié en el campo' (I grew up in the countryside). Key distinction from educar: educar focuses on formal instruction and moral formation, while criar covers the whole process of raising and nurturing from infancy.
Common mistake
Criar (raise/breed/bring up) vs. educar (educate/bring up formally): a parent cría to their child by providing care and environment; they educan by imparting values, discipline, and knowledge. Both are valid for 'bring up a child' but with different emphases. Also: the reflexive criarse (to grow up) is more natural in many contexts than the more formal crecer (to grow/grow up). 'Dónde te criaste' is more intimate than 'dónde creciste'.