To raise, to grow, or to educate: Do you know when to use each verb? 5 minutes of Spanish + Podcast - English Version

 

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Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you’re listening.

Welcome to podcast 277. Thanks for joining us. So… what are we going to talk about today? Another verb?

Since it’s World Breastfeeding Week, we’re going to talk about a verb related to love and childhood.

Of course, because breastfeeding is a child’s natural way of feeding and is connected to parents’ love for their children and child-rearing.

Listen to the Podcast

Lactancia materna- breastfeeding

Now is a good time to learn a very useful Spanish verb: *criar* and raising children.

Yes, because many people confuse *criar* with *crecer* (to grow) or *educar* (to educate).

Exactly. *Criar* means to feed, care for, and help a living being develop. It’s used with animals and also with people.

For example:

La madre cría a su bebé.
The mother raises her baby.

And when we talk about people, raising them also means educating them.

That's why we say:

¡Qué difícil es criar a los hijos hoy en día!
How difficult it is to raise children nowadays.

O también: /Or also:

Mi abuela me crió.
My grandmother raised me.

So, are raising and educating the same thing?

Not exactly. Educating means teaching values, knowledge, and good habits. Raising is broader. It means caring for, feeding, protecting, and also educating.

And growing up? Growing up is different. Growing up means becoming

Por ejemplo: Los niños crecen muy rápido.
Children grow up very fast.

Las plantas crecen con agua y sol.
Plants grow with water and sunlight.

So, parents raise their children, but children grow up.

Exactly!

Now let's look at a detail regarding pronunciation and spelling.

In the present tense, we say:

Ella cría a su hija con mucho amor.
She raises her daughter with a lot of love.

Observa que cría lleva tilde.

Pero en pretérito decimos: /In Preterit we said:

Ella crio a sus hijos sola.
She raised her children alone.

Here, “crio” doesn't have an accent mark, even though it's pronounced “crio,” since it's a monosyllable, just like ‘vio’ or “rio.”

Are there other words in the same family?

Yes.

Criadero es el lugar donde se crían animales.
Hatchery or breeding farm.

Criada es una persona que ayuda en una casa. Es una palabra tradicional y hoy muchas personas prefieren decir empleada doméstica o trabajadora del hogar.
Maid or domestic worker.

Malcriado es una persona que no tiene buenos modales.
Spoiled or badly behaved. Es similar consentido o consentida

And there’s a very interesting word: crianza.

Like raising children?

Yes, but there’s also crianza wine—it’s so delicious!

In Spain, a “crianza” wine is one that has been aged for a period of time before being sold.

How interesting! The same word can have different meanings.

That’s right. This week, when you hear people talking about breastfeeding, remember this verb.

“Criar” isn’t just about feeding. It’s also about caring for, protecting, supporting, and helping someone grow.

And now a question for you.

Who raised you? Your parents, your grandparents, or someone else?

Tell us in Spanish and keep practicing every day.

See you at the workshops, whether in Los Cabos or online.

Thanks for listening, and if you liked the podcast, share it.

See you in the next episode!

Bye-bye