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complicar

to complicate

verb kom-plee-KAHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin complicare (to fold together), from com- + plicare (to fold).

Usage Note

Complicar is often used reflexively as complicarse to mean 'to become complicated' or 'to make things difficult for oneself' (no te compliques, 'don't overcomplicate it'). The spelling change rule applies: cqu before e in conjugation (compliqué, first person preterite). The adjective complicado ('complicated') is far more frequent in everyday speech than the verb itself.

Examples

"No quiero complicar las cosas innecesariamente."

Natural Translation

I don't want to complicate things unnecessarily.

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