Question 1

Why use como instead of si to mean "if" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, como followed by the subjunctive creates a conditional clause that specifically expresses a warning or a threat. While si decides desobedecer is a neutral condition (meaning simply "if you decide to disobey"), como decidas desobedecer sounds much more menacing, similar to saying "If you even think about disobeying" or "You had better not disobey."

Question 2

Why is decidas in the subjunctive mood here? Doesn't a likely "if" condition usually take the indicative?

Accepted Answer

You are right that standard "if" conditions use si with the indicative (like si decides). However, this specific grammar structure uses como instead of si to issue a threat, and it strictly requires the subjunctive mood. Therefore, it must be como decidas, never como decides.

Question 3

Why is there no preposition between decidas and desobedecer? Don't we need an a?

Accepted Answer

No preposition is needed because the verb decidir connects directly to the following infinitive. Unlike verbs that require a linking word, such as empezar a (to start to) or tratar de (to try to), decidir just takes the infinitive straight away: decidir hacer algo (to decide to do something).

Question 4

Could the consequence be written in the future tense, like sufrirás, instead of vas a sufrir?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Both sufrirás (you will suffer) and vas a sufrir (you are going to suffer) work perfectly here. In Latin American Spanish, the ir a + infinitive structure (vas a sufrir) is extremely common in daily speech and makes the threatened consequence feel very immediate and certain.

Como decidas desobedecer, vas a sufrir.

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