tan ... que / tanto ... que
Result Clauses: Tan ... Que
Tan + adjective or adverb + que and tanto + que show a result: Estaba tan cansa que durmiu dez horas (She was so tired that she slept ten hours).
How It Works
Three shapes.
- tan + adjective or adverb + que: Falaba tan baixo que ninguén o oía (He spoke so quietly that nobody could hear him).
- verb + tanto + que: Choveu tanto que se inundou a praza (It rained so much that the square flooded).
- tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas + noun + que: Había tanta xente que non puidemos entrar (There were so many people that we could not get in).
The result is usually a fact, so the verb after que is normally in the indicative. Because que starts a new clause, an object pronoun goes before its verb: que ninguén o oía. See pronouns in subordinate clauses.
De xeito que, de maneira que. After a comma, they introduce a result: Falou alto, de xeito que todos o oíron (He spoke loudly, so everyone heard him). With the subjunctive they express an aim instead: Explícao de xeito que o entendan (Explain it so that they understand it). For aims, see also para que.
Not an equal comparison. Tan ... coma means "as ... as"; tan ... que means "so ... that". See tan ... coma and tanto ... coma.
Other result connectors. Por iso, así que and polo tanto give a result without stressing intensity.
Examples (6)
- Estaba tan cansa que durmiu dez horas.
She was so tired that she slept ten hours.
Word by Word: Was-she so tired that slept-she ten hours.
- Choveu tanto que se inundou a praza.
It rained so much that the square flooded.
Word by Word: Rained so-much that itself flooded the square.
After a verb, tanto does not change.
- Había tanta xente que non puidemos entrar.
There were so many people that we could not get in.
Word by Word: There-was so-much people that not could-we enter.
Before a noun, tanto agrees: tanta xente.
- Falaba tan baixo que ninguén o oía.
He spoke so quietly that nobody could hear him.
Word by Word: Spoke-he so low that nobody him heard.
- Comín tantas castañas que me doe a barriga.
I ate so many chestnuts that my stomach hurts.
Word by Word: Ate-I so-many chestnuts that me hurts the belly.
- Falou alto, de xeito que todos o oíron.
He spoke loudly, so everyone heard him.
Word by Word: Spoke-he loud, of way that all him heard.
De xeito que introduces the result without an intensity word.
Common Mistakes
Using tanto before an adjective.
Estaba tanto cansa que marchou.Estaba tan cansa que marchou.Before an adjective or adverb, use tan. Tanto goes after a verb or, agreeing, before a noun.
Using tan before a noun.
Había tan xente que non cabiamos.Había tanta xente que non cabiamos.Before a noun, use tanto, tanta, tantos or tantas, agreeing with the noun: xente is feminine singular.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Tan or tanto establishes an intensity whose result follows in a que clause.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice tan ... que / tanto ... que in Bubblegum
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