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Como o computador tem um vírus, o sistema está bloqueado.

Como o computador tem um vírus, o sistema está bloqueado.
Since the computer has a virus, the system is blocked.
From Lesson 226:Sentence-initial causes (como...)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Como o computador tem um vírus, o sistema está bloqueado.

Why is como translated as "since" here instead of "how"?
When como is placed at the very beginning of a sentence, it acts as a causal conjunction meaning "since" or "because". It sets up the reason for the event in the second half of the sentence.
Can I flip the order and say O sistema está bloqueado como o computador tem um vírus?
No. When used to mean "since" or "because", como must go at the beginning of the sentence. If you want to state the result first and the reason second, you need to use porque instead: O sistema está bloqueado porque o computador tem um vírus.
Why do we use está instead of é for "is blocked"?
We use está (from the verb estar) because being blocked is a temporary state caused by the virus. If you used é (from ser), it would sound like being blocked is a permanent, built-in characteristic of the system.
Why is it o sistema if the word ends in an "a"?
Although most Portuguese words ending in "a" are feminine, words of Greek origin ending in -ema are masculine exceptions. Other common examples include o problema and o tema.

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