Nascer, Crescer and Criar: Tell a Childhood Story in Portuguese
Use nascer for the beginning of a life
Nascer means be born. The person born is the subject: eu nasci, ela nasceu, nós nascemos. You do not add ser simply because English says was born. A place or date can follow, and these details describe the birth rather than the whole childhood. Someone can be born in one city and remember almost nothing about living there.
Nasci em Recife.
I was born in Recife.
Minha irmã nasceu em julho.
My sister was born in July.
Use crescer for development and growing up
Crescer can describe becoming bigger or growing up in a particular environment. Cresci em… commonly introduces the place where someone spent their childhood. It does not necessarily identify their birthplace. With children, the verb may describe physical growth; with a business or city, it can describe an increase or development. The subject is what grows, not whoever raises it.
Nasci em Recife, mas cresci em Curitiba.
I was born in Recife, but I grew up in Curitiba.
Use criar when someone raises a child
Criar can mean raise a child. The caregiver becomes the subject and the child becomes the object. This reverses the roles in an English growing-up sentence, so check who is doing what. Criar does not by itself specify biological parenthood or a particular legal relationship. Name the family relationship separately when it matters to the story you want to tell.
Minha avó criou três filhos.
My grandmother raised three children.
Recognize fui criado as a different viewpoint
Fui criado or fui criada allows the person raised to become the subject of a passive sentence. The ending agrees with that person. Por can introduce the caregiver. This pattern is useful when describing your upbringing because it keeps you as the subject across several sentences. It is different from eu criei, which says that you raised someone or created something.
Fui criada pelos meus avós.
I was raised by my grandparents.
Check whether criar means raise or create
The object often settles the meaning of criar. With children, raising is likely; with a website, story or account, creating is usually intended. Do not force the family meaning into every sentence. When telling your own story, combine the three verbs chronologically: birthplace, childhood setting, then the people involved in raising you. This gives listeners clear places to ask follow-up questions.
Ela criou uma história para as crianças.
She created a story for the children.
Practice before opening the answers
These are original written practice activities. Try a reply first, then compare the suggested answer and explanation. Other answers can work when they keep the intended meaning.
- Original practice: You were born in Natal. Say this without translating was separately.
Suggested answer and explanation
Nasci em Natal.
Nascer already expresses being born. Nasci is the completed past form for eu; adding fui would create the wrong construction.
- Original practice: You spent your childhood in Santos, although you were born elsewhere.
Suggested answer and explanation
Cresci em Santos.
Crescer describes growing up. Nascer would identify the birth instead, which is a different fact about the same person.
- Original practice: Your aunt raised you. Keep your aunt as the subject.
Suggested answer and explanation
Minha tia me criou.
The caregiver is the subject of criar and me represents the child raised. Minha tia cresceu would describe your aunt growing up.
- Original practice: A man wants to say his grandparents raised him, keeping I as the subject.
Suggested answer and explanation
Fui criado pelos meus avós.
The passive makes the person raised the subject. Criado agrees with the male speaker, while pelos introduces the caregivers.
Try it with your own example
Rehearse three facts about your childhood: birthplace, where you grew up and who raised you. Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app.
