This pair is really close, but it can be confusing for learners. The dictionary describes these two words very similarly. However, they have a big difference in nuance. How do we know whether to use grow or raise?
Grow is to give the basics of life and allowing something to become big and mature passively
You might give food or light, but you will leave it alone other than that.
Transitive:
I love plants, so I am growing tomatoes in my garden.
= Because I love plants, I put the plant in my garden, and I water it and make sure it does not die.
Scientists have created a way to grow meat in a lab.
= Scientists give meat some water and nutrients so that it becomes big enough to eat.
Intransitive:
Vegetables cannot grow in this city because the soil is so bad quality.
= Vegetables cannot become big because of water and sun here.
My hair grows too fast. I need to get a haircut every two weeks.
= My hair becomes big because of the nutrients in me. It comes out of my head too quickly.
Raise is to help something become big with love and attention
You will give food and clothing, and you will also give love and affection. Because of this, it works better for pets or children.
My parents raised me in this city because they think this was safer for us.
= My parents gave us a good childhood here because it’s safe.
Dogs are much cheaper to raise than children.
= Dogs are cheaper than kids because dogs don’t need clothing, air conditioning, health insurance, toys, and help with homework like kids do.
Grow up is to spend your childhood years, regardless of the quality
It is only intransitive. No one does this to you. It is only about passing your childhood years. It is neutral word in terms of quality.
She grew up in a very loving household.
= In her childhood and adolescence, her parents gave her lots of love.
He grew up without a father.
= In the most important years of psychological and physical development, he did not have a dad.
In summary:
- Grow: give the basics of life
- Raise: give the basics of life and a good-quality life
- Grow up: go from the time of childhood to the time of adulthood
For the most part, grow is for plants or science experiments, and raise is for animals and humans. If you say “grow a child,” you are actually talking about:
Hopefully, that explains the difference between grow or raise. Don’t raise plants by kissing them every morning. Don’t grow children by developing them in a test tube.
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Grow your English every day! Good luck!
