How to Use the Spanish Word Como

Como is a common and useful word in Spanish that is frequently used to compare two things, persons, or actions that are similar. Como Often Equivalent to Like or As Como is frequently used as a preposition or conjunction that means like or as. Regardless of which of the two parts of speech it is used as, it is generally understood much the same way by English speakers, so this introductory lesson will look at examples of its usage as both parts of speech together. (Note: English translations used in this lesson reflect English as it is frequently spoken rather than distinguishing among proper uses of like and as.) Como nearly always means something similar to in the manner of and/or is used to make actual or implied comparisons: Piense como un millonario. (Think like a millionaire.)Dice que usa las redes sociales como un presidente moderno. (He says he uses social networks like a modern president.)Si se parece a un pato, anda como un pato y grazna como un pato, entonces es un pato. (If it seems like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then its a duck.)Te quiero, pero como amigo. (I love you, but as a friend.)No hay nadie como Francisco. (There is nobody like Francisco.) ¡No me trates como un perro! (Dont treat me like a dog!)Como tu profesor, quiero ayudarte y ser tu amiga. (As your teacher, I want to help you and be your friend.)No duermo como antes. (I dont sleep like I did before.)He decidido vestirme como quiero. (I have decided to dress myself the way I want.)Te odio como jamà ¡s he odiado a nadie. (I hate you like Ive never hated anyone before.)Como era de esperar, la pelà ­cula ha batido todos los rà ©cords. (As expected, the film has broken all records.)Mà ­rame como si fuera la primera vez. (Look at me as if it were the first time.)Salieron como si nada hubiera pasado. (They left as if nothing had happened.)El cine se lo conoce como el sà ©ptimo arte. (Cinema is known as the seventh art.)Quiero la piel como estaba antes. (I want my skin to like it was before.) Como the conjunction/preposition should not be confused with the homonym como, the first-person singular indicative form of comer that means I eat. Como in Approximations Colloquially, como is sometimes used for approximations. Typical translations include about and approximately. Tengo un primo que pesa como 200 kilogramos. (I have a cousin who weighs approximately 200 kilograms.)Maneje como dos millas pasando la gasolinera Texaco. (Drive about two miles, passing the Texaco gas station.)Al final me costà ³ como mil dà ³lares tomar el examen. (In the end, it cost me something like $1,000 to take the text.)Llevo como dos semanas intentando comprar los boletos en là ­nea para el concierto. (I spent about two weeks trying to buy the tickets online for the concert.) Using Como for How With an orthographic accent, cà ³mo becomes an adverb and is often translated as how. This occurs most often in questions and indirect questions:  ¿Cà ³mo està ¡s? (How are you?) ¿Cà ³mo puedo adquirir un pasaporte? (How can I get a passport?) ¿Cà ³mo puede algo tan pequeà ±o hacerte sentir tan grande? (How can something so small make you feel so great?)No sà © cà ³mo bajar los fotos del servidor. (I dont know how to download the photos from the server. Note: This is an example of cà ³mo being used in an indirect question.)No me importa cà ³mo lo haces. (It doesnt matter to me how you do it.)