Dado que la cotización está completa, firman el dictamen.

Dado que means given that, since, or because. It introduces the reason or basis for the main action.

So in this sentence, Dado que la cotización está completa gives the reason for firman el dictamen.

It is a fairly formal connector, common in business, legal, and administrative Spanish.

Comparable options:

• porque = because
• ya que = since / because
• puesto que = since / given that
• dado que = given that

Among these, dado que sounds especially formal and written.

The comma separates the introductory reason clause from the main clause.

• Dado que la cotización está completa, = introductory subordinate clause
• firman el dictamen. = main clause

This is very natural punctuation in Spanish when a clause like dado que... comes first.

If the order were reversed, the comma might be different or omitted depending on style:

• Firman el dictamen dado que la cotización está completa.

That version is also possible, though the original sounds more formal and structured.

This is a classic ser vs. estar question.

Here, está completa means the quotation/estimate is complete now, in its current state or condition.

• estar = state, condition, result
• ser = inherent characteristic, identity

So:

• La cotización está completa = the quote is complete / finished / fully filled out
• La cotización es completa would sound more like the quote is inherently comprehensive or thorough by nature, which is a different idea

In this sentence, the intended meaning is clearly about the document having been completed, so estar is the natural choice.

Because completa agrees with la cotización, which is a feminine singular noun.

Agreement in Spanish:

• la cotización → feminine singular
• adjective must match → completa

Examples:

• El informe está completo.
• La cotización está completa.
• Los documentos están completos.
• Las solicitudes están completas.

Cotización can have several meanings depending on context, especially in business Spanish. Common possibilities include:

• quote / price quote
• estimate
• quotation
• sometimes listing or market price in financial contexts

In a business or administrative sentence like this one, la cotización most likely means a price quote or estimate document.

So la cotización está completa probably means the quote has been fully prepared, filled out, or finalized.

Firman comes from firmar, meaning to sign.

It is the third-person plural present indicative form:

• ellos firman = they sign
• ellas firman = they sign
• ustedes firman = you all sign

In Latin America, ustedes is used for plural you, so firman could in principle mean either:

• they sign
• you all sign

Without more context, the most likely reading here is they sign.

Spanish often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already gives grammatical information.

• firman already tells us the subject is plural:
  • they
  • or you all (ustedes)

So Spanish does not need to say ellos or ustedes unless the speaker wants emphasis or clarity.

Possible full versions:

• Ellos firman el dictamen.
• Ustedes firman el dictamen.

But in normal Spanish, leaving the subject unstated is very common.

Dictamen is a formal word. Depending on context, it can mean:

• report
• opinion
• expert opinion
• finding
• ruling
• formal assessment

In legal, technical, or administrative contexts, dictamen usually refers to an official or professional document expressing a judgment or conclusion.

So this is not a casual word like nota or papel. It belongs to formal or institutional Spanish.

Spanish often uses the definite article more than English does.

Here, el dictamen likely refers to a specific report/opinion that both speaker and listener already know about.

So:

• firman el dictamen = they sign the report/opinion

Leaving out the article would usually sound unnatural in this sentence.

Yes. Spanish often uses the present tense for actions in procedures, instructions, narratives, or standard business steps.

So firman el dictamen can mean:

• they sign the report
• they then sign the report
• they sign it as the next step in the process

This kind of present tense is very common in formal descriptions of workflow or procedure.

If you wanted to emphasize a future action more explicitly, you could say:

• Dado que la cotización está completa, firmarán el dictamen.
  = Given that the quote is complete, they will sign the report.

But the original present tense is completely natural.

Because the sentence presents the reason as a real, established fact:

• la cotización está completa = the quote is complete

With dado que, when the cause is treated as factual, the indicative is normal.

So:

• Dado que la cotización está completa... = Since/Given that the quote is complete...

The subjunctive would not normally be used here unless the sentence structure changed and the speaker were expressing doubt, hypothesis, or a non-factual idea.

Yes, very formal.

Several elements make it sound formal and professional:

• dado que
• cotización
• dictamen
• the concise, impersonal business style

This sounds like language you might see in:

• corporate writing
• legal or administrative documents
• technical reports
• official emails

In more everyday Spanish, a speaker might choose something simpler, such as:

• Como la cotización ya está completa, firman el informe.
• Ya que la cotización está completa, firman el dictamen.

But the original is perfectly natural in a formal setting.

Yes. Spanish allows some flexibility.

Original:

• Dado que la cotización está completa, firman el dictamen.

Possible alternative:

• Firman el dictamen dado que la cotización está completa.

Both are grammatical. The original puts the reason first, which is common in formal writing when the writer wants to frame the action by its justification.

Starting with Dado que... sounds especially structured and official.