Complicar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb complicar means to complicate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Complicar means to complicate, and it is used for complicating a situation with lies, a problem by rushing and a procedure with new papers. It is the opposite of simplificar, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, complicar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say complico la situación con mentiras, and in the preterite you say compliqué la vida a sus padres. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: complicar
  • English: to complicate
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: complicando
  • Past participle: complicado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + complicado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for complicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is compliqué and the subjunctive is complique. Complicarse, with the pronoun, means to get complicated.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for complicar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo complico
tú complicas
él/ella/Ud. complica
nosotros/as complicamos
vosotros/as complicáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. complican

Preterite

Person Form
yo compliqué
tú complicaste
él/ella/Ud. complicó
nosotros/as complicamos
vosotros/as complicasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. complicaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo complicaba
tú complicabas
él/ella/Ud. complicaba
nosotros/as complicábamos
vosotros/as complicabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. complicaban

Future

Person Form
yo complicaré
tú complicarás
él/ella/Ud. complicará
nosotros/as complicaremos
vosotros/as complicaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. complicarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo complicaría
tú complicarías
él/ella/Ud. complicaría
nosotros/as complicaríamos
vosotros/as complicaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. complicarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he complicado
tú has complicado
él/ella/Ud. ha complicado
nosotros/as hemos complicado
vosotros/as habéis complicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han complicado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había complicado
tú habías complicado
él/ella/Ud. había complicado
nosotros/as habíamos complicado
vosotros/as habíais complicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían complicado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré complicado
tú habrás complicado
él/ella/Ud. habrá complicado
nosotros/as habremos complicado
vosotros/as habréis complicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán complicado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría complicado
tú habrías complicado
él/ella/Ud. habría complicado
nosotros/as habríamos complicado
vosotros/as habríais complicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían complicado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo complique
tú compliques
él/ella/Ud. complique
nosotros/as compliquemos
vosotros/as compliquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. compliquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo complicara
tú complicaras
él/ella/Ud. complicara
nosotros/as complicáramos
vosotros/as complicarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. complicaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú complica
él/ella/Ud. complique
nosotros/as compliquemos
vosotros/as complicad
ellos/ellas/Uds. compliquen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú compliques
él/ella/Ud. complique
nosotros/as compliquemos
vosotros/as compliquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. compliquen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund complicando with estar for the progressive: estoy complicando
Past participle complicado with haber for the perfect tenses: he complicado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For complicar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Complico la situación con mentiras. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is compliqué. For complicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, compliqué el problema con prisas. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, complicaba la vida a sus padres. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, complicaré el trámite con papeles nuevos. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Complicaría la situación con mentiras si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he complicado el problema con prisas. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había complicado la vida a sus padres antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré complicado el trámite con papeles nuevos. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría complicado la situación con mentiras con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For complicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él complique el problema con prisas. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For complicar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él complicara la vida a sus padres, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For complicar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Complica el trámite con papeles nuevos! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For complicar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No compliques la situación con mentiras. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with complicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Complico la situación con mentiras. — I complicate the situation with lies.
  2. Complica el problema con prisas. — He/she complicates the problem by rushing.
  3. Ayer, compliqué la vida a sus padres. — Yesterday, I complicated life for his parents.
  4. Antes, nosotros complicábamos el trámite con papeles nuevos. — Before, we used to complicate the procedure with new papers.
  5. Mañana, tú complicarás la situación con mentiras. — Tomorrow, you will complicate the situation with lies.
  6. Yo complicaría el problema con prisas si tuviera más tiempo. — I would complicate the problem by rushing if I had more time.
  7. Él ha complicado la vida a sus padres. — He has complicated life for his parents.
  8. Espero que él complique el trámite con papeles nuevos. — I hope he complicates the procedure with new papers.
  9. Yo ya había complicado la situación con mentiras antes de salir. — I had already complicated the situation with lies before leaving.
  10. Ellos complicaban el problema con prisas cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to complicate the problem by rushing when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo complica la situación con mentiras. — Right: Yo complico la situación con mentiras. — The person matters: complica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is complico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo complicé el problema con prisas. — Right: Yo compliqué el problema con prisas. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is compliqué, not complicé. complicar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
  3. Wrong: Treating complicar and simplificar as identical in every context. — Right: Complicar means to complicate, while simplificar means to simplify, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: complicar fits sentences such as Complico la situación con mentiras, while simplificar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy complicado el problema con prisas. — Right: Yo he complicado el problema con prisas. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he complicado, has complicado, ha complicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo compliqué la vida a sus padres todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo complicaba la vida a sus padres todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (complicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (compliqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on complicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la situación con mentiras. (present tense) A. complico B. complicas C. complica D. complicamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el problema con prisas. (preterite) A. compliqué B. complicaste C. complicaron D. complicó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la vida a sus padres. (imperfect) A. complicabas B. complicaban C. complicábamos D. complicaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el trámite con papeles nuevos. (future) A. complicaremos B. complicarás C. complicaré D. complicará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la situación con mentiras si pudiera. (conditional) A. complicaría B. complicarías C. complicarían D. complico

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el problema con prisas. (present subjunctive) A. compliques B. compliquemos C. complico D. complique

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la vida a sus padres, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. complicáramos B. complico C. complicara D. complicaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el trámite con papeles nuevos. (present perfect) A. han complicado B. hemos complicado C. he complicado D. has complicado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la situación con mentiras! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. complica B. complique C. compliquemos D. complicad

  10. Which is the gerund of complicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. complicado B. complico C. compliqué D. complicando

Answer key

  1. complico — The first-person present of complicar is complico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. complicó — The third-person preterite of complicar is complicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. complicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of complicar is complicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. complicarás — The second-person future of complicar is complicarás.
  5. complicaría — The first-person conditional of complicar is complicaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. complique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of complicar is complique.
  7. complicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of complicar is complicara.
  8. hemos complicado — The nosotros present perfect of complicar is hemos complicado: hemos + complicado.
  9. complica — The affirmative tú imperative of complicar is complica.
  10. complicando — The gerund of complicar is complicando: estoy complicando. The participle complicado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does complicar mean in English?

Complicar means to complicate. It is used in everyday situations such as Complico la situación con mentiras. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is complicar regular or irregular?

Complicar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including complico in the present and compliqué in the preterite.

What is the difference between complicar and simplificar?

Complicar means to complicate, while simplificar means to simplify, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use complicar when you mean to complicate, as in Complico la situación con mentiras, and use simplificar for to simplify, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I complicate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo compliqué el problema con prisas. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo complicaba la vida a sus padres. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he complicado el problema con prisas.

How do I practise complicar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the complicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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