complicación
“complicación” means “complication” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
complication
Also: difficulty, complexity
📝 In Action
No quiero tener más complicaciones en el trabajo.
A2I don't want to have any more complications at work.
Hubo una complicación técnica con el sistema de sonido.
B1There was a technical complication with the sound system.
El viaje transcurrió sin complicaciones.
B1The trip went ahead without any complications.
medical complication
📝 In Action
El paciente tuvo complicaciones después de la cirugía.
B2The patient had complications after the surgery.
Es una medicina segura con pocas complicaciones.
B2It is a safe medicine with few complications.
Existen riesgos de complicaciones respiratorias.
C1There are risks of respiratory complications.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "complicación" in Spanish:
medical complication→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: complicación
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct plural form of 'complicación'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'complicatio', which comes from 'complicare' (to fold together). Imagine several things folded or tangled together so they are hard to separate.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'complicación' for a difficult person?
Not really. Use 'una persona complicada' (an adjective) instead. 'Complicación' refers to the situation or the problem itself, not the person's character.
Is there a difference between 'complicación' and 'problema'?
A 'problema' is general. A 'complicación' usually implies that a situation was already happening and then a new, unexpected difficulty made it worse.
Why does the accent disappear in 'complicaciones'?
In Spanish, we use accents to show which syllable to stress. When the word gets longer by adding '-es', the natural stress falls on the correct syllable automatically, so the written accent is no longer needed.