tal – such
Tal is used with nouns.
Tal día – Such a day
En tal caso – In such a case
De tal manera – In such a way
Tal has a plural form. If the following noun is in plural, say tales.
tal chica – such a girl
tales chicas – such girls
Try it yourself:
such a house
such a life
such eyes
tal … como … – such … as …
Tal persona como tú – Such a person as you
Me gustan tales coches como ésos – I like such cars as these ones
Try it yourself:
Such animals as a bear
Such a girl as she
tan – so
Tan is used with adjectives and adverbs.
Tan caro – So expensive
Tan interesante – So interesting
Este cuadro es tan bonito – This painting is so beautiful
Los gatos son tan inteligentes – Cats are so intelligent
Es tan tarde – It’s so late
Tan never changes.
Try it yourself:
So cheap
These motorbikes are so fast
You get up so early
She is so far away
tan … como … – as … as …
No soy tan alto como tú – I’m not as tall as you
Madrid no es tan grande como Nueva York – Madrid isn’t as big as New York
Try it yourself:
This man is as rich as a king
tanto – so much, so many
Tanto is with nouns and verbs.
before nouns:
Tanto dinero – So much money
Tanta gente – So many people
Tienes tantos amigos – You have so many friends
after verbs:
Te quiero tanto – I love you so much
Laura trabaja tanto – Laura works so much
Don’t say: tan mucho
If tanto is related to a noun, it takes its form, just like a simple adjective.
tanto amor – so much love (masculine singular)
tantas cosas – so many things (feminine plural)
If it’s related to a verb, it doesn’t change.
Trabajo tanto – I work so much
Trabajamos tanto – We work so much
Try it yourself:
So much water
So many books
You eat so much
They speak so much
tanto … como … – as much / many … as …
Elena no tiene tantas amigas como Natalia – Elena doesn’t have as many friends as Natalia
Yo no viajo tanto como ella – I don’t travel as much as she does
Try it yourself:
I don’t drink as much water as you
Luis doesn’t read as much as his brother
Ejercicio 1
Translate into English
1. Mi móvil es tan viejo
2. Tales palabras son muy malas
3. Felipe es tan rico
4. Tienes tanta energía
5. El atleta es tan fuerte como un toro
6. Me gusta tal café como éste
7. Ella siempre piensa tanto
8. El español no es tan difícil como el árabe
9. Usted es tan amable
10. En tales momentos estás muy serio
Ejercicio 2
Choose between tal, tan and tanto
1. Roberto es … guapo – [?]
2. En … caso no puedo ayudarte – [?]
3. En mi barrio hay … coches – [?]
4. No me gustan … discusiones – [?]
5. ¿Por qué me amas … ? – [?]
6. Julia es … tímida – [?]
7. … error puede costar mucho – [?]
8. En la plaza hay … gente – [?]
9. Estoy … enamorado – [?]
10. Tenéis … comida en la nevera – [?]
Ejercicio 3
Translate into Spanish
1. So joyful
2. Such a situation
3. So near
4. So much time
5. She is so smart
6. It’s hard to work in such conditions
7. We are so different
8. There is so much information on the Internet
9. I like such songs as this one
10. Here the mountains are not as high as there