Expressing cause with como
You already know como as "how" or "like", but it has another use. Start a sentence with como ("since" or "because") to state the reason for an event before describing its outcome.
| since (cause, sentence-initial) | como |
| Since the prince is not magical, the princess helps him. | Como el príncipe no es mágico, la princesa lo ayuda. |
| Since the dragon is in the tower, we cannot escape. | Como el dragón está en la torre, no podemos escapar. |
Narrating cause and effect
When you start a sentence with como, separate the cause from the effect with a comma. This structure is perfect for telling fairy tales where one magical event causes another.
| Since he could not break the spell, he didn't rescue the prince. | Como no pudo romper el hechizo, no rescató al príncipe. |
| Since the toad sang, the giant was quite afraid. | Como el sapo cantó, el gigante tuvo bastante miedo. |
| Since the spell worked, we managed to escape from the tower. | Como el hechizo funcionó, logramos escapar de la torre. |
| Since we entered the magical forest, the spell ended. | Como entramos en el bosque mágico, el hechizo terminó. |
Como or porque?
Both give a reason, but they sit in different places. Como always opens the sentence, and the result follows after a comma. When the reason comes second, use porque instead:
- Como el dragón está en la torre, no podemos escapar.
- No podemos escapar porque el dragón está en la torre.
Never start the second half with como: no podemos escapar como el dragón… is wrong.
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