Learn Spanish (Spain): Como el príncipe no es mágico, la princesa lo ayuda. - Since the prince is not magical, the princess helps him.

In Spanish, when como is placed at the very beginning of a sentence, it is often used to express a cause or reason. In this structure, it translates to "since," "as," or "because."

Could I start this sentence with Porque instead of Como?

Usually, no. In Spanish, you generally do not start a sentence with porque (because) to state a reason. When the reason comes first, you use como. You could only use porque if you flipped the sentence order: La princesa lo ayuda porque el príncipe no es mágico.

Why is the pronoun lo placed before the verb ayuda?

The word lo is a direct object pronoun meaning "him." In Spanish, direct object pronouns must go immediately before a conjugated verb. That is why "helps him" becomes lo ayuda.

Why do we use es instead of está for "is not magical"?

We use es (from the verb ser) because being magical is a core, defining characteristic of the prince. You use ser for permanent traits and identity, and estar for temporary states.