Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Creo que cada derecho humano es importante. - I believe that every human right is important.

Creo que… = I believe that…
Suggests a personal belief or opinion, sometimes based on values or general thinking.
Pienso que… = I think that…
Very close in meaning, often interchangeable. Some speakers feel pienso can sound a bit more “thought out,” but in everyday speech the difference is tiny.
Opino que… = My opinion is that…
Sounds a bit more formal or explicitly opinion-based.

So the sentence could also be:

Pienso que cada derecho humano es importante.
Opino que cada derecho humano es importante.

The original uses creo simply because it’s the most common, neutral way to express a belief or opinion.

Why is it “creo que” and not “creo de que”?

In standard Spanish, after creer (when it means to think / to believe), you use que, not de que:

✅ Creo que cada derecho humano es importante.
❌ Creo de que cada derecho humano es importante.

Using de que here is considered a mistake called dequeísmo.

You only see creer en or creer de in different structures:

Creo en los derechos humanos. = I believe in human rights.
¿Qué crees de esta idea? = What do you think of this idea?

But when you follow creer with a whole clause (something that has its own verb), you say creo que….

Why is it “es importante” and not “sea importante” (subjunctive)?

After creer que in an affirmative statement, Spanish normally uses the indicative, not the subjunctive:

Creo que… + indicativo (when you do believe it is true)
- Creo que cada derecho humano es importante.

When we use the subjunctive (sea), it’s usually because there is doubt, negation, or uncertainty:

No creo que cada derecho humano sea importante.
= I don’t think every human right is important.

So:

Creo que … es → I think it is (I hold this to be true).
No creo que … sea → I don’t think it is (I doubt / deny it).

Why is it “cada derecho humano es importante” and not “cada derecho humano son importantes”?

In Spanish, cada (each / every) is grammatically singular, even though it refers to more than one thing overall. The noun and verb must agree with that singular grammar:

cada derecho humano → singular
→ es importante → singular verb and singular adjective

Correct:

✅ Cada derecho humano es importante.

Incorrect:

❌ Cada derecho humano son importantes. (plural verb + plural adjective with a singular subject)

If you want plural, you drop cada and change the structure:

Todos los derechos humanos son importantes.
= All human rights are important.

What’s the difference between “cada derecho humano” and “todos los derechos humanos”?

Both convey a similar overall idea, but the emphasis is different:

Cada derecho humano es importante.
- Focuses on each individual right.
- Implicitly: there is no exception.
Todos los derechos humanos son importantes.
- Focuses on the group as a whole.
- Also implies they’re all important, but the “one by one” feeling is weaker.

In many contexts, you can say either without changing the meaning significantly, but cada has a stronger “every single one” flavor.

Why isn’t there an article like “el” before “cada”?

In Spanish, cada is used without articles:

✅ cada derecho humano
❌ el cada derecho humano

This is a general rule:

cada persona (each person)
cada día (each day)
cada país (each country)

So you don’t say el/la/los/las before cada.

Why is the word order “derecho humano” and not “humano derecho” like in English “human right”?

In Spanish, the normal order is:

noun + adjective

So:

derecho (right) + humano (human) → derecho humano

English often uses an adjective before the noun (“human right”), but Spanish normally puts it after the noun.

More examples:

human rights → derechos humanos
human life → vida humana
human dignity → dignidad humana

Why is “humano” masculine here? Could it be “humana”?

The adjective humano / humana has to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

derecho is a masculine singular noun → derecho humano
If the noun were feminine, you’d use humana:
- la vida humana (human life)
- la dignidad humana (human dignity)

So in this sentence:

cada derecho humano
- derecho = masculine singular
- humano = masculine singular to match it

Why is “importante” not in the plural (“importantes”)?

The adjective importante must agree with the subject of the sentence:

Subject: cada derecho humano → singular.
Therefore, the predicate must also be singular: es importante.

So:

✅ Cada derecho humano es importante. (singular subject → singular verb → singular adjective)

If you changed the subject to plural:

Todos los derechos humanos son importantes.
- derechos humanos = plural
- son = plural verb
- importantes = plural adjective

Why is it “es importante” and not “está importante”?

The choice between ser and estar often confuses learners.

ser importante describes an inherent / general characteristic.
estar importante is not normally used; it would sound strange in this context.

We use ser for characteristics that are seen as more permanent or essential:

Ese tema es importante. = That topic is important.
Los derechos humanos son importantes. = Human rights are important.

Estar is used with adjectives for temporary states or conditions:

Estoy cansado. = I’m tired (now).
El niño está enfermo. = The child is sick (at the moment).

Importance in this sentence is treated as a general quality, so ser is the correct choice.

Why is there no “yo” before “creo”? Could I say “Yo creo que…”?

Spanish often omits subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) because the verb ending already shows the subject:

creo = I believe → the -o ending tells us it’s yo.

Both are correct:

Creo que cada derecho humano es importante.
Yo creo que cada derecho humano es importante.

Adding yo usually adds a bit of emphasis on the subject:

Yo creo que… → I believe that… (maybe contrasting with what others believe).

But in neutral statements, natives commonly drop the pronoun: Creo que…

What type of “right” is “derecho” here? Could it be misunderstood?

The word derecho has several meanings in Spanish, but in this context it clearly means a right (an entitlement), especially in the phrase derechos humanos:

derecho = a legal/moral right
- derechos humanos = human rights

Other meanings of derecho:

la derecha (feminine) = the right side / the political right
tener derecho a algo = to have a right to something
el Derecho (capital D) = Law as a field of study

In cada derecho humano, it unambiguously refers to each human right (an entitlement).

Is this sentence natural and commonly used in Latin America?

Yes, it sounds natural and standard across Latin America. You will hear and see:

Creo que cada derecho humano es importante.
Creo que los derechos humanos son importantes.

The vocabulary derechos humanos, the structure creo que + indicativo, and the style are all common in Latin American Spanish, including in everyday conversation, media, and education contexts.