¿En Donde Estabas? Los Tigres del Norte Translation Meaning and Lyrics

Song Meaning

'¿En Donde Estabas?' means 'Where were you?' in English. It is a name of a song by 'Los Tigres del Norte' human translated here by a native speaker.

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Lyrics and Translations

'¿En Donde Estabas?' human translated and annotated. Look for notes about interesting vocabulary, language constructions, idioms, changes to transcribed words, grammar rules and general info that our members have discovered

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Line 1

Original Lyrics: Hubiera dado hasta la vida por que no te fueras

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Verb	Verb	Preposition	Determiner	Noun	Preposition	Conjunction	Adverb	Pronoun	Verb
hubiera	dado	hasta	la	vida	por	que	no	tú	fueras
auxiliary verb taking past participle to build various perfect tenses to have	transitive to give, to give out	even	the	life	for, for the sake of, on behalf of (indicating doing something for someone's benefit)	that	not	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	reflexive to go away, to leave, to be off (see irse)
1st Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb haber	Pastparticiple Singular Masculine of the verb dar								2nd Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb ir
I would have	given	even	the	life	for	that		you	do not leave

Aligned Translation: I would have given even the life so that you don't go

Free Translation: I would have given my life so that you wouldn't leave

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Line 2

Original Lyrics: Hubiera caminado en fuego por que me quisieras

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Verb	Verb	Preposition	Noun	Preposition	Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
hubiera	caminado	en	fuego	por	que	mí	quisieras
auxiliary verb taking past participle to build various perfect tenses to have	to walk	in, at, on	fire	for, for the sake of, on behalf of (indicating doing something for someone's benefit)	that	me; (declined form of yo used as the object of a preposition)	to love; to be fond of
1st Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb haber	Pastparticiple Singular Masculine of the verb caminar						2nd Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb querer
I would have	walked	in	fire	for	that		you love me

Aligned Translation: I would have walked on fire so that you love me

Free Translation: I would have walked through fire for you to love me

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Line 3

Original Lyrics: Y hoy que dices que fallaste

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Conjunction	Adverb	Conjunction	Verb	Conjunction	Verb
y	hoy	que	dices	que	fallaste
and	today	that	to say, to tell	that	transitive to fail
			2nd Person Singular Indicative Present Tuteo of the verb decir		2nd Person Singular Indicative Preterite of the verb fallar
And	today	that	you say	that	you failed

Aligned Translation: And today that you say that you failed

Free Translation: And today you say that you failed

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Line 4

Original Lyrics: Que cada día es un castigo si no estás conmigo

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Conjunction	Determiner	Noun	Verb	Determiner	Noun	Conjunction	Adverb	Verb	Preposition	Pronoun
que	cada	día	es	un	castigo	si	no	estás	con	mí
that	each; every	day (any period of 24 hours)	to be (essentially or identified as).	a	punishment	if	not	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	with	me; (declined form of yo used as the object of a preposition)
			3rd Person Singular Indicative Present of the verb ser					2nd Person Singular Indicative Present Tuteo of the verb estar
That	each	day	is	a	punishment	if		you are not	with	me

Aligned Translation: That each day is a punishment if you are not with me

Free Translation: That each day that goes by is a punishment if you're not here with me

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Line 5

Original Lyrics: Quiero preguntarte

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Verb	Verb	Pronoun
quiero	preguntar	tú
to desire, to want, to want to	to ask	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).
1st Person Singular Indicative Present of the verb querer	Infinitive
I want	to ask	you

Aligned Translation: I want to ask you

Free Translation: I want to ask you

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Line 6

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas cuando me moría?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Noun	Verb	Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
dónde	estabas	cuando	yo	moría
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	when	(First-person singular pronoun in the nominative case); I.	to die
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar			1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb morir
Where	were you	when	I	was dying	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you when I died?

Free Translation: Where were you when I was dying?

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Line 7

Original Lyrics: Cuando hasta el cielo se me desplomaba

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Conjunction	Preposition	Determiner	Noun	Verb
cuando	hasta	el	cielo	desplomaba
when	even	Masculine singular definite article; the.	sky	reflexive to collapse
				3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb desplomar
When	even	the	sky	was collapsing on me

Aligned Translation: When even the sky collapsed on me

Free Translation: When even the sky was collapsing on me

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Line 8

Original Lyrics: Cuando abrazaba tu fotografía

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Conjunction	Verb	Adjective	Noun
cuando	abrazaba	tuyo	fotografía
when	transitive to hug, to embrace (a person, an animal)	yours, your	photography
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb abrazar
When	I hug	your	photography

Aligned Translation: When I clung to your photo

Free Translation: When I clung to your photograph

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Line 9

Original Lyrics: Y era un infierno cada madrugada

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Conjunction	Verb	Determiner	Noun	Determiner	Noun
y	era	un	infierno	cada	madrugada
and	to be (essentially or identified as).	a	hell	each; every	dawn
	3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb ser
And	it was	a	hell	each	dawn

Aligned Translation: And every early morning was a hell

Free Translation: And it was hell every morning

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Line 10

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas cuando te quería?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Noun	Verb	Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
dónde	estabas	cuando	tú	quería
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	when	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	to love; to be fond of
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar			1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb querer
Where	were you	when		I was loving you	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you when I loved you?

Free Translation: Where were you when I loved you?

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Line 11

Original Lyrics: Cuando rezaba porque regresaras

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Conjunction	Verb		Verb
cuando	rezaba		regresaras
when	intransitive to pray		intransitive to return, go back, come back
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb rezar		2nd Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb regresar
When	I was praying	for you	to come back

Aligned Translation: When I prayed so that you come back

Free Translation: When I prayed for you to come back

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Line 12

Original Lyrics: Cuando peleaba con las noches frías

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Conjunction	Verb	Preposition	Determiner	Noun	Adjective
cuando	peleaba	con	las	noche	frías
when	intransitive to fight, to argue	with	the	night (the period between sunset and sunrise)	Feminine plural of frío
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb pelear
When	I was fighting	with	the		cold nights

Aligned Translation: When I fought with the cold nights

Free Translation: When I fought with the cold nights

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Line 13

Original Lyrics: Porque mi cuerpo te necesitaba

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Conjunction	Adjective	Noun	Pronoun	Verb
porque	mío	cuerpo	tú	necesitaba
because	predicative or after the noun mine, my.	body (the physical structure of a human or animal)	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	transitive to need
				3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb necesitar
Because	my	body		needed you

Aligned Translation: Because my body needed you

Free Translation: Because my body needed you

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Line 14

Original Lyrics: Cuando te amaba

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Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
cuando	tú	amaba
when	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	to love, have great affection for, care about
		1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb amar
When		I loved you

Aligned Translation: When I loved you

Free Translation: When I loved you

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Line 15

Original Lyrics: Y aún tenía corazón

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Conjunction	Adverb	Verb	Noun
y	aún	tenía	corazón
and	still, yet	transitive to have, possess (literally)	anatomy heart (organ of the body)
		1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb tener
And	still	I had	heart

Aligned Translation: And I still had heart

Free Translation: And I still had a heart

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Line 16

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Noun	Verb
dónde	estabas
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar
Where	were you	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you?

Free Translation: Where were you?

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Line 17

Original Lyrics: Hubiera renunciado a todo por cambiar la historia

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Verb	Verb	Preposition	Pronoun	Verb	Determiner	Noun
hubiera	renunciado	a	todo	cambiar	la	historia
auxiliary verb taking past participle to build various perfect tenses to have	to renounce	to	everything	transitive:intransitive to change, to shift, to switch, to alter	the	story (a sequence of real or fictional events)
1st Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb haber	Pastparticiple Singular Masculine of the verb renunciar			Infinitive
I would have	giving up	to	everything	to change	the	story

Aligned Translation: I would have given everything up for changing the story

Free Translation: I would have given up everything to change the story

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Line 18

Original Lyrics: Por arrancar este capítulo de mi memoria

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Verb	Adjective	Noun	Preposition	Adjective	Noun
arrancar	este	capítulo	de	mío	memoria
to rip, to tear	this	chapter	from (with the source or provenance of or at)	predicative or after the noun mine, my.	memory
Infinitive
To rip	this	chapter	from	my	memory

Aligned Translation: For ripping off this chapter from my memory

Free Translation: For ripping off this chapter from my memory

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Line 19

Original Lyrics: Y hoy que dices que fallaste

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Conjunction	Adverb	Conjunction	Verb	Conjunction	Verb
y	hoy	que	dices	que	fallaste
and	today	that	to say, to tell	that	transitive to fail
			2nd Person Singular Indicative Present Tuteo of the verb decir		2nd Person Singular Indicative Preterite of the verb fallar
And	today	that	you say	that	you failed

Aligned Translation: And today that you say that you failed

Free Translation: And today you say that you failed

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Line 20

Original Lyrics: Que cada día es un castigo si no estás conmigo

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Conjunction	Determiner	Noun	Verb	Determiner	Noun	Conjunction	Adverb	Verb	Preposition	Pronoun
que	cada	día	es	un	castigo	si	no	estás	con	mí
that	each; every	day (any period of 24 hours)	to be (essentially or identified as).	a	punishment	if	not	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	with	me; (declined form of yo used as the object of a preposition)
			3rd Person Singular Indicative Present of the verb ser					2nd Person Singular Indicative Present Tuteo of the verb estar
That	each	day	is	a	punishment	if		you are not	with	me

Aligned Translation: That each day is a punishment if you are not with me

Free Translation: That each day that goes by is a punishment if you're not here with me

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Line 21

Original Lyrics: Quiero preguntarte

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Verb	Verb	Pronoun
quiero	preguntar	tú
to desire, to want, to want to	to ask	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).
1st Person Singular Indicative Present of the verb querer	Infinitive
I want	to ask	you

Aligned Translation: I want to ask you

Free Translation: I want to ask you

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Line 22

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas cuando me moría?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Noun	Verb	Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
dónde	estabas	cuando	yo	moría
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	when	(First-person singular pronoun in the nominative case); I.	to die
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar			1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb morir
Where	were you	when	I	was dying	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you when I died?

Free Translation: Where were you when I was dying?

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Line 23

Original Lyrics: Cuando hasta el cielo se me desplomaba

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Conjunction	Preposition	Determiner	Noun	Verb
cuando	hasta	el	cielo	desplomaba
when	even	Masculine singular definite article; the.	sky	reflexive to collapse
				3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb desplomar
When	even	the	sky	was collapsing on me

Aligned Translation: When even the sky collapsed on me

Free Translation: When even the sky was collapsing on me

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Line 24

Original Lyrics: Cuando abrazaba tu fotografía

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Conjunction	Verb	Adjective	Noun
cuando	abrazaba	tuyo	fotografía
when	transitive to hug, to embrace (a person, an animal)	yours, your	photography
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb abrazar
When	I hug	your	photography

Aligned Translation: When I clung to your photo

Free Translation: When I clung to your photograph

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Line 25

Original Lyrics: Y era un infierno cada madrugada

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Conjunction	Verb	Determiner	Noun	Determiner	Noun
y	era	un	infierno	cada	madrugada
and	to be (essentially or identified as).	a	hell	each; every	dawn
	3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb ser
And	it was	a	hell	each	dawn

Aligned Translation: And every early morning was a hell

Free Translation: And it was hell every morning

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Line 26

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas cuando te quería?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Word By Word Lyrics:

Noun	Verb	Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
dónde	estabas	cuando	tú	quería
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.	when	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	to love; to be fond of
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar			1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb querer
Where	were you	when		I was loving you	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you when I loved you?

Free Translation: Where were you when I loved you?

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Line 27

Original Lyrics: Cuando rezaba porque regresaras

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Conjunction	Verb		Verb
cuando	rezaba		regresaras
when	intransitive to pray		intransitive to return, go back, come back
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb rezar		2nd Person Singular Subjunctive Imperfect Ra of the verb regresar
When	I was praying	for you	to come back

Aligned Translation: When I prayed so that you come back

Free Translation: When I prayed for you to come back

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Line 28

Original Lyrics: Cuando peleaba con las noches frías

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Conjunction	Verb	Preposition	Determiner	Noun	Adjective
cuando	peleaba	con	las	noche	frías
when	intransitive to fight, to argue	with	the	night (the period between sunset and sunrise)	Feminine plural of frío
	1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb pelear
When	I was fighting	with	the		cold nights

Aligned Translation: When I fought with the cold nights

Free Translation: When I fought with the cold nights

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Line 29

Original Lyrics: Porque mi cuerpo te necesitaba

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Conjunction	Adjective	Noun	Pronoun	Verb
porque	mío	cuerpo	tú	necesitaba
because	predicative or after the noun mine, my.	body (the physical structure of a human or animal)	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	transitive to need
				3rd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb necesitar
Because	my	body		needed you

Aligned Translation: Because my body needed you

Free Translation: Because my body needed you

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Line 30

Original Lyrics: Cuando te amaba

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Conjunction	Pronoun	Verb
cuando	tú	amaba
when	(Second person pronoun in singular tense) (informal communication in Spain and Mexico). you; thou (cognate).	to love, have great affection for, care about
		1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb amar
When		I loved you

Aligned Translation: When I loved you

Free Translation: When I loved you

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Line 31

Original Lyrics: Y aún tenía corazón

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Conjunction	Adverb	Verb	Noun
y	aún	tenía	corazón
and	still, yet	transitive to have, possess (literally)	anatomy heart (organ of the body)
		1st Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb tener
And	still	I had	heart

Aligned Translation: And I still had heart

Free Translation: And I still had a heart

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Line 32

Original Lyrics: ¿En dónde estabas?

Typing Test: ¿ ?

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Word By Word Lyrics:

Noun	Verb
dónde	estabas
where	to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.
	2nd Person Singular Indicative Imperfect of the verb estar
Where	were you	?

Aligned Translation: In where were you?

Free Translation: Where were you?

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Review

Song Overview: "¿En Dónde Estabas?" by Los Tigres del Norte

Artist: Los Tigres del Norte, a legendary Mexican norteño band formed in the late 1960s, is renowned for their corridos and socially conscious lyrics.
Genre: Norteño/Corrido, blending traditional accordion-driven rhythms with narrative storytelling.
Theme: The song centers on betrayal and abandonment. The narrator confronts someone (likely a lover or close companion) who is absent when needed. The song questions loyalty and underscores the pain of unmet expectations.

Lyrical Content: While specific lyrics aren't detailed here, the title ("Where Were You?") frames the song as an emotional reckoning. The narrator likely reflects on hardship or heartbreak and demands accountability from the absent party.
Style: Typical of Los Tigres' corridos, the song uses a storytelling approach, blending personal emotion with broader reflections on human relationships.
Cultural Context: The band often addresses themes of love, social justice, and personal struggle, resonating deeply with audiences in Mexican and Latin American communities.

Release Details: While the exact release year is not mentioned, Los Tigres del Norte have been consistently producing music since the 1970s, often centered around similar themes in their albums.

Significance: The song exemplifies the band's ability to fuse traditional norteño sounds with relatable narratives, making it a poignant reflection on loyalty and human frailty. Its emotional depth aligns with their reputation for crafting music that speaks to both personal and collective experiences.

Submitted by user: ANAJOSE

Average Ratings

Most people find the song lyrics easy to understand lyrics, lyrics sung slowly and it has very easy to remember verbs and nouns

Many words used are not in common daily usage.^RAE

¿En Donde Estabas? has 140 BPM (beats per minute)

¿En Donde Estabas? is suitable for DELE Level students in terms of language complexity.

References

^RAE Based on a median word frequency of 8301 using the frequency database from the Royal Spanish Academy (La Real Academia Española)

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