Crescer vs. aumentar
Crescer and aumentar both mean to grow or to increase in English, but they are used in different contexts. While crescer generally refers to organic or natural growth, aumentar implies a deliberate or measurable increase. Understanding their differences helps in distinguishing situations where each is appropriate.
Crescer
A2Crescer means to grow in the sense of natural or organic development over time. It is often used to describe living things, as well as personal or abstract growth.
As crianças crescem muito rápido.
(Children grow very fast.)
A empresa cresceu bastante nos últimos anos.
(The company has grown a lot in recent years.)
O rio cresceu depois da chuva forte.
(The river grew after the heavy rain.)
Quero crescer como pessoa e aprender coisas novas.
(I want to grow as a person and learn new things.)
Aumentar
B1Aumentar means to increase or make something larger, often by an intentional or external action. It refers more to measurable growth or change in quantity, size, or intensity.
Eles aumentaram o preço dos ingressos.
(They increased the price of the tickets.)
O número de turistas aumentou este ano.
(The number of tourists increased this year.)
Será necessário aumentar o tamanho da mesa.
(It will be necessary to increase the size of the table.)
Ela aumentou o volume da música.
(She turned up the volume of the music.)
Summary
Crescer refers to organic or natural growth (e.g., people, plants, or companies evolving), while aumentar is about measurable or intentional increases (e.g., prices, quantities, or sizes). Choosing the correct word depends on whether the growth is natural or results from external effort or action.