complacer

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin complacēre. Equivalent to com- +‎ placer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /komplaˈθeɾ/ [kõm.plaˈθeɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /komplaˈseɾ/ [kõm.plaˈseɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: com‧pla‧cer

Verb

complacer (first-person singular present complazco, first-person singular preterite complací, past participle complacido)

1. to please
2. to satisfy
3. (euphemistic) to sexually pleasure.
   • 2015 September 11, @minuto30com, Twitter‎^[1]:

     Una mujer fue captada “complaciéndose” en un Starbucks.

     A woman was caught "pleasuring herself" at a Starbucks.

4. (reflexive) to take pleasure

   El director se complace en invitarte a la inauguración.

   The director is pleased to invite you to the inauguration.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of complacer (irregular; c-zc alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			complacer
gerund			complaciendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		complacido		complacida
		plural		complacidos		complacidas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	complazco	complacestú complacésvos	complace	complacemos	complacéis	complacen
	imperfect	complacía	complacías	complacía	complacíamos	complacíais	complacían
	preterite	complací	complaciste	complació, complugo3	complacimos	complacisteis	complacieron, compluguieron3
	future	complaceré	complacerás	complacerá	complaceremos	complaceréis	complacerán
	conditional	complacería	complacerías	complacería	complaceríamos	complaceríais	complacerían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	complazca	complazcastú complazcásvos2	complazca, complega3, complegue3	complazcamos	complazcáis	complazcan
	imperfect (ra)	complaciera	complacieras	complaciera, compluguiera3	complaciéramos	complacierais	complacieran, compluguieran3
	imperfect (se)	complaciese	complacieses	complaciese, compluguiese3	complaciésemos	complacieseis	complaciesen, compluguiesen3
	future1	complaciere	complacieres	complaciere, compluguiere3	complaciéremos	complaciereis	complacieren, compluguieren3
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		complacetú complacévos	complazca, complega3, complegue3	complazcamos	complaced	complazcan
	negative		no complazcas	no complazca, no complega3, no complegue3	no complazcamos	no complazcáis	no complazcan

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
³Archaic.

    Selected combined forms of complacer (irregular; c-zc alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive complacer
	dative	complacerme	complacerte	complacerle, complacerse	complacernos	complaceros	complacerles, complacerse
	accusative	complacerme	complacerte	complacerlo, complacerla, complacerse	complacernos	complaceros	complacerlos, complacerlas, complacerse
with gerund complaciendo
	dative	complaciéndome	complaciéndote	complaciéndole, complaciéndose	complaciéndonos	complaciéndoos	complaciéndoles, complaciéndose
	accusative	complaciéndome	complaciéndote	complaciéndolo, complaciéndola, complaciéndose	complaciéndonos	complaciéndoos	complaciéndolos, complaciéndolas, complaciéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative complace
	dative	compláceme	complácete	complácele	complácenos	not used	compláceles
	accusative	compláceme	complácete	complácelo, complácela	complácenos	not used	complácelos, complácelas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative complacé
	dative	complaceme	complacete	complacele	complacenos	not used	complaceles
	accusative	complaceme	complacete	complacelo, complacela	complacenos	not used	complacelos, complacelas
with formal second-person singular imperative complazca, complega3, complegue3
	dative	complázcame, complégame1, complégueme1	not used	complázcale, complégale1, compléguele1, complázcase, complégase1, compléguese1	complázcanos, compléganos1, compléguenos1	not used	complázcales, complégales1, complégueles1
	accusative	complázcame, complégame1, complégueme1	not used	complázcalo, complégalo1, compléguelo1, complázcala, complégala1, compléguela1, complázcase, complégase1, compléguese1	complázcanos, compléganos1, compléguenos1	not used	complázcalos, complégalos1, compléguelos1, complázcalas, complégalas1, compléguelas1
with first-person plural imperative complazcamos
	dative	not used	complazcámoste	complazcámosle	complazcámonos	complazcámoos	complazcámosles
	accusative	not used	complazcámoste	complazcámoslo, complazcámosla	complazcámonos	complazcámoos	complazcámoslos, complazcámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative complaced
	dative	complacedme	not used	complacedle	complacednos	complaceos	complacedles
	accusative	complacedme	not used	complacedlo, complacedla	complacednos	complaceos	complacedlos, complacedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative complazcan
	dative	complázcanme	not used	complázcanle	complázcannos	not used	complázcanles, complázcanse
	accusative	complázcanme	not used	complázcanlo, complázcanla	complázcannos	not used	complázcanlos, complázcanlas, complázcanse

¹Archaic.

Related terms

• placer

 

Noun

complacer m (plural complaceres)

1. concession

Further reading

• “complacer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014