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Como evadas el pago, la sanción va a ser peor.

Como evadas el pago, la sanción va a ser peor.
If you evade the payment, the penalty is going to be worse.
From Lesson 262:Warning clauses (como)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Como evadas el pago, la sanción va a ser peor.

Why does como mean 'if' here instead of 'how' or 'since'?
When como is followed by a verb in the present subjunctive, it creates a conditional statement that acts as a warning or a threat. It translates to 'if' but carries a much stronger, more threatening tone than a normal 'if' sentence.
Why is the verb evadas in the subjunctive rather than the normal present tense evades?
The structure como meaning 'if as a warning' strictly requires the subjunctive mood. If you used the normal present tense here, as in Como evades el pago, the meaning would change entirely to 'Since you are evading the payment'.
Could I just use si (if) for this sentence?
Yes, you could say Si evades el pago, which uses the normal present tense. However, si just states a neutral condition. Using Como evadas is a deliberate choice to make the sentence sound like a strict warning.
Why do we use ser in va a ser peor instead of estar?
We use ser because the severity is a defining characteristic of the penalty. If you were talking about a changing state or condition, like someone's health getting worse, you would use estar peor.

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