Breakdown of Como hay poca luz, estas partes minúsculas se deben ampliar.
haber
to be (there is / there are)
estas
these (feminine)
poco
little / a little
se
(impersonal) one / passive marker
Questions & Answers about Como hay poca luz, estas partes minúsculas se deben ampliar.
Why is it deben and not debe, considering it is followed by the infinitive ampliar?
This is a passive reflexive structure. Even though there is an infinitive (ampliar), the true subject of the sentence is the plural noun phrase estas partes minúsculas. Because these parts 'are to be magnified,' the modal verb deber must be conjugated in the plural (deben) to match them.
Can I attach the se to the end of the infinitive to make it deben ampliarse?
Yes, both options are perfectly correct. With an infinitive phrase, the pronoun se can either go before the conjugated verb (se deben ampliar) or attach directly to the end of the infinitive (deben ampliarse). The meaning does not change at all.
Why use como here for 'since' instead of porque?
When expressing a cause or reason at the very beginning of a sentence, Spanish requires como. Using porque at the start of a sentence sounds unnatural unless you are directly answering a question. You would use porque if the clauses were flipped: Estas partes minúsculas se deben ampliar porque hay poca luz.
Does ampliar only mean to 'amplify' sound, like in English?