Questions & Answers about ¡Cómo llueve hoy!
Why use cómo here instead of cuánto or qué?
In Spanish exclamations, cómo followed by a verb emphasizes the intensity or manner of the action. While ¡Cuánto llueve! is also correct and means 'How much it rains!', ¡Cómo llueve! is the most natural way to exclaim 'How hard it is raining!'. Note that you cannot use qué directly before a conjugated verb in this way.
Why is it translated as 'How hard' when there is no Spanish word for 'hard' in the sentence?
Why use the simple present (llueve) instead of the present continuous (está lloviendo) if it is raining right now?
English strongly prefers the present continuous for actions happening right now, but Spanish frequently uses the simple present. For short, spontaneous exclamations about what is happening in the moment, the simple present is usually the most natural and punchy choice.
Why does Cómo have an accent mark here?
It takes an accent mark because it is an exclamatory word in this sentence. The word como is always accented when used in direct or indirect questions and exclamations. When used as a standard conjunction meaning 'like' or 'as', it does not take an accent.
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