/ˈkomo/
Translation
like, as, how
Word origin
From Latin quomodo ('in what way, how'), a compound of quo ('in what way') and modo ('manner').
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- quomodo
- English cognates
- mode, modus
Examples
.
He talks as if he knows everything.
rayo.
He is as fast as lightning.
explicarlo.
I do not know how to explain it.
.
I love him like a brother.
llegues , .
If you arrive late again, I am leaving without you.
Como (without accent) functions as a conjunction meaning "as" or "like," introducing comparisons and manner clauses. Cómo (with accent) is the interrogative and exclamatory form meaning "how." Both are extremely common and the accent mark is the only written distinction.
The pitfall is in reported or indirect questions: "Me preguntó cómo me llamaba" (She asked me what my name was) requires the accent because the sense is interrogative even though there is no question mark. Many learners drop the accent in these embedded questions, which is technically incorrect in formal writing.
Used in
Stories
(24)El amigo de mi padre
1 min read · Core 1000
Lo mismo de siempre
2 min read · Core 1000
A Paula le duele todo
3 min read · Core 5000
Alguien que lo haya visto
3 min read · Core 5000
Cocinar juntos
3 min read · Core 1000
El correo a la jefa
3 min read · Core 5000
El mejor café de la calle
3 min read · Core 5000
El nuevo doctor de Paula
3 min read · Core 1000
El primer día de trabajo
3 min read · Core 1000
El trabajo de Pedro
3 min read · Core 1000
En el médico
3 min read · Core 1000
Es importante que descanses
3 min read · Core 5000
La fábrica de madera
3 min read · Core 5000
La habitación libre
3 min read · Core 5000
La llamada
3 min read · Core 1000
Le hice arreglar el coche
3 min read · Core 5000
Lo que de verdad importa
3 min read · Core 5000
Lo que dijo el médico
3 min read · Core 5000
Más vale tarde que nunca
3 min read · Core 5000
Pasen y siéntense
3 min read · Core 5000
Una organización imposible
3 min read · Core 5000
¡Vaya sorpresa!
3 min read · Core 5000
El primer día de Laura
4 min read · Core 1000
Los puestos del sábado
4 min read · Core 1000
Grammar articles
(19)Spanish Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Spanish Comparatives: más que, menos que, tan como and the Four Irregulars
Spanish Correlative Comparison: cuanto más... más, cada vez más, el doble
Conjugating Spanish -er Verbs in the Present Tense
Spanish Verb Conjugation: The Complete Rules with Examples
Spanish Connectors of Cause and Consequence: porque, ya que, por lo tanto, así que
The Spanish Diacritic Accent: tú vs tu, sí vs si, qué vs que
Spanish Exclamations: ¡Qué bonito!, ¡Cuánta gente!, ¡Vaya día! (and the accents)
Spanish Fixed Similes: dormir como un tronco, más bueno que el pan, terco como una mula
Spanish Intermediate Grammar (B1-B2): The Things That Stop You at the Plateau
The Spanish Perfect Subjunctive (haya hablado)
The Spanish Pluperfect Subjunctive and Conditional Perfect (hubiera hablado, habría hablado)
The Spanish Present Subjunctive: How to Form It (the Opposite-Vowel Rule)
Spanish Quantifiers: mucho, poco, demasiado, todo, cada (mucha gente vs trabaja mucho)
Si Clauses in Spanish: Real and Unreal Conditions (si llueve, si tuviera, si hubiera)
Spanish Subjunctive in Adverbial Clauses
The Spanish Subjunctive in Relative Clauses (busco a alguien que sepa)
Spanish Subjunctive Set Phrases: pase lo que pase, como si, ojalá, que tengas...
Spanish Word Order: SVO, Pro-Drop and the Five Rules That Cover 90% of Sentences
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 1.