Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to grow" in Italian: crescere
crescere
To grow in Italian is crescere. Present: cresco, cresci, cresce. Past: è cresciuto / è cresciuta with essere.
Niece visit
Wow—sei cresciuta tanto!Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce crescere
Say it
KREH-sheh-reh
/ˈkreʃ.ʃe.re/
Crescere: KREH-sheh-reh. Soft sc before e. Stress KREH.
"to grow" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| crescere | to grow Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| cresco / cresci / cresce | I/you/he-she grow(s) Present. | Present. |
| è cresciuto / è cresciuta | he/she/it grew / has grown Past. | Past. |
| far crescere | to grow something / raise Causative. | Causative. |
How to use crescere in real life
- 1Niece visit
Wow—sei cresciuta tanto!
Wow—you've grown so much!
È cresciuta implied in sei cresciuta.
- 2Balcony plants
Il basilico cresce bene al sole.
The basil grows well in the sun.
Cresce.
- 3City talk
Questa zona cresce ogni anno.
This area grows every year.
Figurative.
Mistakes English speakers make with crescere
Incorrect: Ho cresciuto in Italia.
Correct: Sono cresciuto / sono cresciuta in Italia.
Crescere takes essere for people growing up.
Incorrect: La crescita il bambino. (as verb)
Correct: Il bambino cresce.
Use the verb cresce, not the noun crescita.
Good to know
Sei cresciuto/a! is a classic compliment from relatives. Plants on balconies are a national hobby—cresce bene al sole is everyday chat. Businesses also 'grow' with crescere.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking tomato plants on a balcony
ChatPal
Guarda—il pomodoro cresce finalmente.
Look—the tomato is finally growing.
You
Sì, cresce più veloce dopo la pioggia.
Yes, it grows faster after the rain.
ChatPal
L'anno scorso è cresciuto poco.
Last year it grew little.
You
Quest'anno abbiamo più sole.
This year we have more sun.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to grow" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to grow" in Italian
Infinitive?
Crescere.
I grew up?
Sono cresciuto / sono cresciuta.
It grows?
Cresce.
Noun?
La crescita—different word; prefer the verb in examples.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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