Grandir vs. croître vs. augmenter
The French words 'grandir', 'croître' and 'augmenter' all refer to the idea of growth or increasing in size, but they are used in different contexts and have different connotations.
Grandir
'Grandir' is typically used to refer to the physical growth of living beings, especially humans, or personal development.
Les enfants grandissent vite.
(Children grow up fast.)
Il a grandi dans un petit village.
(He grew up in a small village.)
Elle a beaucoup grandi pendant l'été.
(She has grown a lot over the summer.)
Croître
'Croître' is generally used for natural, organic growth or increase, often in an ecological or economic context.
La population mondiale continue de croître.
(The world population continues to grow.)
Les plantes croissent mieux avec suffisamment de lumière.
(Plants grow better with enough light.)
L'économie du pays a cru de 3% l'année dernière.
(The country's economy grew by 3% last year.)
Augmenter
'Augmenter' is used more broadly to indicate an increase in size, quantity, or degree in various contexts.
Le prix du lait a augmenté.
(The price of milk has increased.)
Nous devons augmenter la production pour répondre à la demande.
(We need to increase production to meet demand.)
La température augmente progressivement.
(The temperature is gradually increasing.)
Summary
In summary, while 'grandir' is more commonly associated with the physical growth of living beings and personal development, 'croître' often refers to natural or economic growth and 'augmenter' denotes a more general increase related to size, quantity, or degree across various contexts.