Question 1

Why does como mean since here instead of like or how?

Accepted Answer

When como is placed at the very beginning of a sentence, it often translates to since or because. It sets up the cause or reason for what happens in the second half of the sentence. Remember that you usually cannot start a sentence with porque (because) to explain a reason; you must use como instead.

Question 2

Why is it pudo and not podía?

Accepted Answer

Pudo is the preterite (simple past) form of poder (to be able to). It is used here because it refers to a specific, completed attempt to break the spell that failed. If we used the imperfect tense podía, it would sound like a general, ongoing inability in the past rather than a single event.

Question 3

Why do we say al príncipe instead of just el príncipe?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, when the direct object of an action is a specific person or pet, you have to use the personal a before it. Here, the action of rescuing is being done to the prince. The personal a combines with the masculine word el to form the contraction al.

Question 4

Why isn't the verb romper conjugated?

Accepted Answer

When you use a conjugated verb like pudo (was able to), the verb that immediately follows it showing the action must stay in its infinitive (dictionary) form. So we say pudo romper (was able to break), not pudo rompió.

Como no pudo romper el hechizo, no rescató al príncipe.

Breakdown of Como no pudo romper el hechizo, no rescató al príncipe.

Questions & Answers about Como no pudo romper el hechizo, no rescató al príncipe.

Learn Como no pudo romper el hechizo, no rescató al príncipe and more in Spanish