How to Say "to complicate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to complicate” is “complicar” — use this general term when you are making a situation, task, or plan more difficult than it needs to be..
complicar
/kom-plee-kar//kompliˈkaɾ/
Examples
No quiero complicar las cosas más de lo necesario.
I don't want to complicate things more than necessary.
La lluvia complicó el tráfico esta mañana.
The rain made the traffic difficult this morning.
Si cambias de opinión ahora, vas a complicar todo el plan.
If you change your mind now, you're going to complicate the whole plan.
The Spelling Change in the Past
In the 'yo' form of the past (preterite), the 'c' changes to 'qu' (compliqué) to keep the hard 'K' sound. This also happens in the special form used for wishes and commands.
Using 'Se' to show things getting hard
When you add 'se' to the end (complicarse), the meaning changes from 'to complicate something' to 'to become complicated' all on its own.
Confusing the Verb and the Adjective
Mistake: “La tarea es complicar.”
Correction: La tarea es complicada. Use 'complicada' to describe a thing (adjective) and 'complicar' only for the action (verb).
dificultar
/dee-fee-kool-tar//difi-kulˈtaɾ/
Examples
La lluvia fuerte puede dificultar el tráfico esta tarde.
The heavy rain can make traffic difficult this afternoon.
La falta de internet dificultó mi trabajo durante todo el día.
The lack of internet hindered my work throughout the day.
Las nuevas leyes dificultan la apertura de pequeñas empresas.
The new laws make it difficult to open small businesses.
Using the word as a 'barrier'
This word describes the action of putting a barrier in front of something else. It is almost always used with an object—the thing that is being made difficult (like 'traffic', 'progress', or 'understanding').
A regular pattern
This verb follows the most common pattern for verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar,' you can conjugate 'dificultar' perfectly.
Overusing 'Hacer difícil'
Mistake: “La lluvia hizo difícil el tráfico.”
Correction: La lluvia dificultó el tráfico.
enredar
/en-reh-dar//enreˈðar/
Examples
No quieras enredar más las cosas con tus mentiras.
Don't try to complicate things further with your lies.
Él me enredó en sus problemas legales.
He entangled me in his legal problems.
La trama de la película se enredó al final.
The movie's plot got complicated at the end.
Using 'enredar' with people
When you involve someone else in a mess, you usually need the preposition 'en'. Example: 'Me enredó en su plan' (He tangled/involved me in his plan).
Confusing with 'bother'
Mistake: “No me enredes, estoy trabajando.”
Correction: Although sometimes used this way, it's better to say 'No me molestes' or 'No me entretengas' if you mean 'don't bother me'.
Complicar vs. Enredar
Related Translations
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