Breakdown of Como el inspector empiece la auditoría hoy, no vamos a estar listos.
no
no, not
estar
to be (location/state)
listo
ready
ir
to go
Questions & Answers about Como el inspector empiece la auditoría hoy, no vamos a estar listos.
Why does this sentence use como instead of si to mean "if"?
While si states a neutral condition, using como followed by the present subjunctive (empiece) expresses a warning, a threat, or dread. It implies that if this condition happens, there will be a negative consequence. Here, the bad consequence is that we won't be ready!
If como means "if" here, why don't we just use the present subjunctive with si?
That is an important rule to remember! In Spanish, you never use the present subjunctive directly after si (if). A neutral "if" clause uses the indicative: Si el inspector empieza... But when you swap si for the warning como, you are required to use the subjunctive: Como el inspector empiece...
Why is the verb spelled empiece and not empieze?
Empiece is the present subjunctive form of empezar. Spanish spelling rules require changing a z to a c when it comes before an e to keep the same pronunciation. Combined with the normal e-to-ie stem change, empezar becomes empiece.
Why do we use estar with listos here instead of ?