la cosa se complica
/la kosa se komplika/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "the plot thickens" is expressed as la cosa se complica.
The phrase la cosa se complica is used to express that a situation is becoming more difficult, complex or mysterious.
Meaning: used to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
A literal translation of la cosa se complica is "the thing complicates itself."
Which one should you use?
You can use la situación se complica as a slightly more formal alternative. If you want to express "it's getting interesting!" in an informal way, you can say ¡Se pone interesante! For a formal way to say "the plot thickens," use ¡El argumento se complica!
Did you know?
- The word cosa in la cosa se complica actually comes from the Latin word for 'cause', meaning that when you say 'the thing complicates itself', you are etymologically saying 'the cause complicates itself'.
- While English uses 'plot' as a metaphor for a story's development, the Spanish equivalent argumento in el argumento se complica can mean a plot, but it also refers to a logical reason or a debate point.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if a situation becomes too complex to handle, one might say esto es un lío, which uses a word meaning 'a tangle' or 'a mess' to describe the complication.
Examples in context
- Estoy leyendo una novela muy intrigante y, de repente, ¡el argumento se complica! Las pistas se multiplican y los personajes se vuelven sospechosos.I am reading a very intriguing novel and, suddenly, the plot thickens! The clues multiply and the characters become suspicious.
- La trama de esta película de suspenso se enreda cada vez más a medida que nuevos elementos y motivos emergen en la trama principal.The plot of this suspense film gets more and more tangled as new elements and motives emerge in the main plot.
- Estoy leyendo este libro y, a medida que avanzo, ¡la historia se complica más! Cada capítulo agrega nuevas capas de misterio y de desarrollo de personajes.I am reading this book and, as I progress, the story gets more complicated! Each chapter adds new layers of mystery and character development.
- Parece que la cosa se complica.It seems that the plot is thickening.
- Si no llega el paquete, la cosa se complica.If the package doesn't arrive, things will get complicated.
- ¡Uy! La cosa se complica de repente.Oh! The plot thickens suddenly.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are discussing a missing set of keys.
- AlejandroHe perdido las llaves y no están en el coche.I lost the keys and they aren't in the car.
- ElenaY ahora no encuentras el repuesto. La cosa se complica.And now you can't find the spare. The plot thickens.
- AlejandroEs verdad, Elena, esto es un desastre.It's true, Elena, this is a disaster.
- ElenaTranquilo, buscaremos en la casa otra vez.Calm down, we will look in the house again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cosa, la, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
