The preterite of criarse is used to express where or how someone grew up during a specific period in the past, for example Me crié en Madrid (I grew up in Madrid). This reflexive verb emphasizes the completed period of growing up.

This is a regular -ar verb used reflexively, requiring the appropriate reflexive pronoun with each conjugation. The verb itself follows the standard preterite pattern for -ar verbs.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Criarse (to grow up) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of criarse expresses the completed action of being raised or growing up in the past.

To be raised/grow up: Describes the process of upbringing, for example Me crié en el campo (I was raised in the countryside) or Se criaron juntos (They grew up together).

To be brought up: Used for describing one’s upbringing, for example Se crió con sus abuelos (He/she was brought up by their grandparents).

Examples

Examples of Criarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me crié en un pequeño pueblo. (I grew up in a small town.)

Te criaste con tus abuelos. (You grew up with your grandparents.)

El artista se crió en una familia de músicos. (The artist grew up in a family of musicians.)

Nos criamos juntos en el barrio. (We grew up together in the neighborhood.)

Los hermanos se criaron en el campo. (The siblings grew up in the countryside.)

Me crié rodeado de libros. (I grew up surrounded by books.)

Te criaste en una ciudad grande. (You grew up in a big city.)

La escritora se crió cerca del mar. (The writer grew up near the sea.)

Nos criamos con valores tradicionales. (We grew up with traditional values.)

Los primos se criaron como hermanos. (The cousins grew up like siblings.)

Me crié entre dos culturas. (I grew up between two cultures.)

Te criaste en una familia numerosa. (You grew up in a large family.)

El chef se crió en un restaurante. (The chef grew up in a restaurant.)

Nos criamos durante tiempos difíciles. (We grew up during difficult times.)

Los amigos se criaron en el mismo edificio. (The friends grew up in the same building.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Criarse (to grow up) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.