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Dado que la población rural disminuye, muchos pueblos están vacíos.

Dado que la población rural disminuye, muchos pueblos están vacíos.
Given that the rural population decreases, many villages are empty.
From Lesson 285:Formal cause and effect (por lo tanto, dado que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Dado que la población rural disminuye, muchos pueblos están vacíos.

Why is Dado que used here instead of just porque?
Dado que means "given that" or "since". It is a slightly more formal causal connector than porque (because). It is very common at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a known fact that causes the result in the second half of the sentence.
Why is the verb disminuye in the normal present tense instead of the subjunctive?
We use the normal indicative mood here because dado que introduces a declared, accepted fact (the rural population is indeed decreasing).
Where does the "y" come from in the verb disminuye?
Disminuye comes from the infinitive disminuir (to decrease). For verbs ending in -uir (like construir or huir), you insert a "y" before the ending in the present tense for all forms except the nosotros and vosotros forms.
Why do we use están instead of son for "are empty"?
We use están (from the verb estar) because being empty (vacíos) is a physical state or condition, not an inherent identity. Even if a village has been empty for years, conditions always take estar.
Can pueblos mean "people" as well as "villages"?
Yes! Pueblo can mean a "village" or "small town", but it also translates to "a people" or "a nation" (as in el pueblo español). Here, because they are described as empty (vacíos), we know it means "villages".

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