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Como no tenemos electricidad, suspendemos el concierto.

Como no tenemos electricidad, suspendemos el concierto.
Since we don't have electricity, we are suspending the concert.
From Lesson 152:Causal clauses (como)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Como no tenemos electricidad, suspendemos el concierto.

Why does como mean "since" here? I thought it meant "how" or "like".
You are right that cómo (with an accent) means "how" and como means "like" or "I eat". However, when como is placed at the very beginning of a sentence, it acts as a causal connector meaning "since" or "because". It sets up the reason before telling you what happens.
Can I start this sentence with porque instead of como?
No, it generally sounds unnatural to native speakers to start a sentence with porque (because) to explain a reason. If you want to put the reason first, always use como. If you want to use porque, you must flip the sentence around: Suspendemos el concierto porque no tenemos electricidad.
Why use the present tense suspendemos (we suspend) instead of a future tense if the concert is being cancelled?
In Spanish, the simple present tense (suspendemos) is frequently used to state immediate decisions or near-future actions. Translating it as "we are suspending" or "we are cancelling" captures this immediate decision perfectly.
I've seen cancelar used for "cancel". Can I say cancelamos el concierto?
Yes, you absolutely can! Cancelar and suspender are often used interchangeably for scheduled events like concerts, games, or meetings. Suspender is very common in Latin America for calling off an event due to bad conditions (like having no electricity).

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