Breakdown of Como el contador mienta, ¿cómo vamos a justificar la cuenta?
ir
to go
cómo
how
la cuenta
the bill
mentir
to lie
como
if (as a warning/threat)
el contador
the accountant
justificar
to justify
Questions & Answers about Como el contador mienta, ¿cómo vamos a justificar la cuenta?
Why is mienta in the subjunctive here?
Because the sentence starts with Como used as a conditional warning. When como means "if" and sets up a threat or a strong warning about a negative outcome, it must be followed by the present subjunctive.
Why use Como for "If" instead of the usual word, Si?
You could definitely use Si here, but starting a sentence with Como plus the subjunctive adds a specific tone of warning or dread. It emphasizes that the accountant lying is a bad scenario that you really want to avoid. Note that if you used Si, you would have to use the normal present indicative verb miente.
Why does the second cómo have an accent mark while the first Como does not?
The second cómo is a question word meaning "how," and all question words in Spanish require a written accent mark. The first Como is a conjunction here meaning "if," so it does not take an accent.
Is there a connection between the words contador and cuenta?
Learn Como el contador mienta, ¿cómo vamos a justificar la cuenta and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free