Breakdown of Como no te acostumbres al horario, vuelves a España.
no
no / not
España
Spain
a
to
volver
to return
el horario
the timetable / the hours
como
if (warning or threat, + subjunctive)
acostumbrarse a
to get used to
Questions & Answers about Como no te acostumbres al horario, vuelves a España.
Why is it al horario and not just el horario?
The verb acostumbrarse (to get used to) is a prepositional verb that always requires the preposition a to connect it to the thing you are getting used to. In this sentence, the preposition a combines with the masculine article el to form the mandatory contraction al.
Doesn't como usually mean "like" or "since"? Why does it translate to "if" here?
It does! However, when como is followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood (like acostumbres), its meaning changes to "if." Spanish speakers frequently use this specific structure to express a condition that serves as a warning or a mild threat.
Why is the verb acostumbres in the subjunctive mood?
It is directly triggered by the word como. While the normal word for "if" (si) uses the indicative mood for likely events, using como to mean "if" forces the following verb into the subjunctive to set up that negative condition or warning.
The English translation implies a future event. Why use the present tense vuelves instead of the future tense volverás?
In Spanish, the present tense is often used instead of the future tense to make a consequence sound absolutely certain and immediate. Using the present tense vuelves makes this warning sound much more concrete and serious.
Learn Como no te acostumbres al horario, vuelves a España and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free