tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + Noun + quanto

Equality Comparison with Nouns

Level 2

The structure tanto/a/os/as + [noun] + quanto is used to say 'as much/many [noun] as'. It focuses on quantity and must agree with the noun it describes.

How It Works

To express that two things have the same amount of something, Portuguese uses a correlative structure.

1. The Agreement Rule:
Because tanto is modifying a noun, it acts like an adjective and must agree:

  • Tanto + masculine singular (e.g., tanto dinheiro)
  • Tanta + feminine singular (e.g., tanta paciência)
  • Tantos + masculine plural (e.g., tantos livros)
  • Tantas + feminine plural (e.g., tantas amigas)

2. The Connector:
The second part of the comparison is usually quanto. However, in many regions (especially in Portugal or in casual Brazilian speech), como is frequently used instead. Both are correct.

3. Negative Comparisons:
When you use não tanto... quanto, you are saying 'not as much as', which highlights a difference in quantity rather than equality.

Examples (5)

  1. Eu bebo tanto café quanto o meu irmão.

    I drink as much coffee as my brother.

    Word by Word: I drink so-much coffee as the my brother.

    'Café' is masculine singular, so we use 'tanto'.

  2. Ela tem tanta paciência como você.

    She has as much patience as you.

    Word by Word: She has so-much patience as you.

    'Paciência' is feminine singular, so we use 'tanta'. Note the use of 'como' as an alternative to 'quanto'.

  3. Nós compramos tantos livros quanto eles.

    We bought as many books as they did.

    Word by Word: We bought so-many books as they.

    'Livros' is masculine plural, so we use 'tantos'.

  4. Eles não têm tantas dúvidas quanto nós.

    They don't have as many doubts as we do.

    Word by Word: They not have so-many doubts as we.

    'Dúvidas' is feminine plural, so we use 'tantas'. This is a negative comparison.

  5. Eu estudo tanto quanto você.

    I study as much as you.

    Word by Word: I study so-much as you.

    When comparing an action (verb) without a noun, 'tanto' is an adverb and remains invariable (masculine singular).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'tão' instead of 'tanto' before a noun.

    Eu tenho tão dinheiro quanto você.
    Eu tenho tanto dinheiro quanto você.

    'Tão' is only used with adjectives or adverbs. For nouns (quantities), you must use 'tanto'.

  • Failing to make 'tanto' agree with the noun's gender/number.

    Ele tem tanto moedas quanto eu.
    Ele tem tantas moedas quanto eu.

    Since 'moedas' is feminine plural, 'tanto' must change to 'tantas'.

  • Using 'do que' for equality comparisons.

    Tenho tantos amigos do que você.
    Tenho tantos amigos quanto você.

    'Do que' is used for superiority (mais que) or inferiority (menos que). Equality requires 'quanto' or 'como'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + Noun + quantoLevel 2Equality Comparison with Nouns

Learn This First

To learn equality comparisons with nouns, you must first understand how adjectives agree in gender and number with nouns, as 'tanto' changes forms (tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas) based on the noun being compared. Additionally, familiarity with the basic 'tão... quanto' structure for adjectives helps in applying the same logic to quantities.

Words in This Pattern

tantoquanto