criar

Senses

1. 1.

   to raise, to bring up

   to care for and educate a child from infancy to adulthood

2. 2.

   to rear, to breed

   to keep and feed animals for reproduction or use

3. 3.

   to grow, to develop

   to cause something to develop or increase

4. 4.

   to create, to produce

   to generate or bring into existence

Examples

• "Mis padres me criaron en el campo."

  My parents raised me in the countryside.

• "Ella cría gallinas y ovejas en su granja."

  She raises chickens and sheep on her farm.

• "La confianza se cría entre amigos que se conocen bien."

  Trust is built among friends who know each other well.

Usage

Criar is a very common verb with both personal and animal contexts. With people, it emphasizes nurturing and education; with animals, it means to keep and breed them. The reflexive form "criarse" means "to grow up" or "to be raised". Common collocations include "criar hijos" (raise children) and "criar ganado" (raise livestock).