Breakdown of No puedo ir hoy. Lo que pasa es que el proyecto acaba de complicarse.
ser
to be
no
no, not
ir
to go
hoy
today
el proyecto
the project
poder
to be able to / can
que
that / than
acabar de
to have just
lo
the ... thing (neuter article)
pasar
to happen
complicarse
to get complicated
Questions & Answers about No puedo ir hoy. Lo que pasa es que el proyecto acaba de complicarse.
Why use lo que pasa es que here, and why does it take the indicative (acaba) instead of the subjunctive?
Lo que pasa es que (literally "what happens is that") is a common discourse marker used to introduce an excuse or explanation, just like saying "The thing is..." in English. It uses the indicative mood (acaba) because you are declaring a fact to justify why you can't go, rather than expressing doubt, desire, or an emotional reaction.
What does acaba de mean before complicarse?
The formula acabar de + infinitive means "to have just done something". Here, acaba de complicarse means "it just got complicated." It is a very common way to talk about an action that just happened in the immediate past, using a present tense conjugation.
Why is complicar used with the pronoun se (complicarse)?
Can I put the se from complicarse anywhere else in the sentence?
Yes! When you have a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (like acaba de complicar), pronoun rules allow you to attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive (as seen here: acaba de complicarse) or place it right before the conjugated verb (se acaba de complicar). Both options are perfectly natural and mean the exact same thing.
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