Como no termine hoy la solicitud, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.

Como without an accent can have several meanings depending on context:

• como = as / since / if
• como = I eat (from comer)
• cómo with an accent = how

In this sentence, Como no termine hoy la solicitud... uses como as a conjunction meaning something like if or since.

At the start of a sentence, como can sound more forceful than si, especially in warnings or consequences:

• Como no termine hoy..., tendré que...
  = If I don’t finish today, I’ll have to...

So here it is not the verb comer, and it is not cómo = how.

Because this como is not a question word.

Spanish uses an accent on words like cómo, qué, cuándo, dónde when they are interrogative or exclamative:

• ¿Cómo estás?
• ¡Cómo pasa el tiempo!

But when the word is being used as a conjunction or connector, it usually has no accent:

• Como no vengas, me voy.
• Hazlo como quieras.

So in your sentence, como has no accent because it means if/since, not how?

Because termine is the present subjunctive, and after como in this kind of conditional sentence, Spanish normally uses the subjunctive.

Here the speaker is talking about something that has not happened yet and is being presented as a condition:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.

This structure is common when como means if and introduces a possible future situation.

Compare:

• Si no termino hoy la solicitud... → neutral, common
• Como no termine hoy la solicitud... → more emphatic, more like a warning or consequence

So termine is used because the clause is hypothetical or pending, not a simple statement of fact.

Yes, absolutely. That is probably the more straightforward version for many learners.

• Si no termino hoy la solicitud, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.

This means the same basic thing: If I don’t finish the application today, I’ll have to postpone the interview.

The difference is mainly tone:

• si = neutral if
• como + subjunctive at the beginning = stronger, more emphatic, often sounding like a warning or a firm consequence

So both are correct, but como no termine... has a bit more pressure behind it.

Because the speaker is talking about a consequence in the future.

• tendré que = I will have to
• tengo que = I have to

The idea is:

1. First: maybe I don’t finish the application today.
2. Then, as a result: I will have to postpone the interview.

So the future tense fits naturally:

• tendré que aplazar la entrevista

You could hear voy a tener que in everyday speech too:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud, voy a tener que aplazar la entrevista.

That is also natural, just a different way to express the future.

The subject is understood from the verb endings.

In Spanish, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb already tells you who the subject is:

• termine here means I finish in the subjunctive context
• tendré clearly means I will have

So the sentence naturally implies yo:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.
• Literally: If I don’t finish the application today, I’ll have to postpone the interview.

Spanish usually avoids pronouns like yo unless they are needed for emphasis or contrast.

Because in Spanish, no normally goes directly before the conjugated verb.

So:

• no termine
• no quiero
• no puedo
• no fui

That is the standard position for negation.

Here:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud...

means If I don’t finish the application today...

This is very regular Spanish word order.

Because for application in the sense of a form, request, or official submission, Spanish normally uses solicitud.

So:

• job application → solicitud de empleo
• application form → formulario de solicitud

By contrast, aplicación often means:

• the act of applying something
• dedication/effort
• an app/software application

So in this sentence, la solicitud is the natural choice.

Because the first part is a subordinate clause placed before the main clause.

Structure:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud, = subordinate conditional clause
• tendré que aplazar la entrevista. = main clause

In Spanish, when this kind of introductory clause comes first, a comma is normally used before the main clause.

So the punctuation helps separate:

• the condition from
• the consequence

Yes, posponer would also work.

• aplazar la entrevista
• posponer la entrevista

Both can mean to postpone the interview.

Some nuance:

• aplazar is very common for postponing events, meetings, exams, interviews, etc.
• posponer is also common and often feels slightly more formal or general.
• retrasar usually means to delay, which may suggest making it later rather than fully postponing/rescheduling it

So aplazar is a very natural choice here.

Yes. That would also be correct.

Spanish word order is more flexible than English, especially with time expressions like hoy.

These are all possible:

• Como no termine hoy la solicitud, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.
• Como no termine la solicitud hoy, tendré que aplazar la entrevista.

The difference is very small. Placing hoy earlier can slightly emphasize the time limit:

• If I don’t finish it today...

So the original version sounds very natural and highlights today as the key deadline.