Tant vs Autant ~ Confusing French Pairs
What is the difference between the French words tant and autant?
The French words tant and autant are both adverbs of quantity, but their meanings and uses are different. Autant means as much/many and is usually used in comparisons. Tant means so much/many and tends to be used to intensify. Take a look at the following summary table for more details.
| TANT - So much, many |
AUTANT - As much, many |
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| Tant and autant (que) modify verbs. | ||||
| Il a déjà tant fait. | Faites autant que vous pouvez. | |||
| - He has already done so much. | - Do as much as you can. | |||
| Il travaille tant ! | Je travaille toujours autant. | |||
| - He works so much! |
- I work as much as always. |
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| Tant de and autant de modify nouns. | ||||
| Il a tant d'amis. | Il a autant d'amis que toi. | |||
| - He has so many friends. | - He has as many friends as you. | |||
| Ta maison a tant d'espace ! | Ma maison a autant d'espace. | |||
| - Your house has so much space! |
- My house has as much space (as this one). |
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| Tant (que) intensifies, while autant que equalizes. | ||||
| Il a tant mangé qu'il est malade. | Il a mangé autant que toi. | |||
| - He ate so much that he's sick. | - He ate as much as you. | |||
| J'ai tant lu que j'ai mal aux yeux. | C'est pour lui autant que pour toi. | |||
| - I read so much that my eyes hurt. | - It's for him as much as for you. | |||
| J'ai dû partir, tant j'étais fatigué. | Il est sympathique autant qu'intelligent. | |||
| - I had to leave since I was so tired. |
- He is as nice as he is intelligent. |
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| Tant que can also mean while, as long as, or since. | ||||
| Tant que tu habiteras ici, tu m'obéiras. | ||||
| - As long as you live here, you will obey me. | ||||
| Tant que tu es là, cherche mes lunettes. | ||||
| - As long as / since you're here, look for my glasses. |
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| Tant can replace autant in a negative or interrogative sentence. | ||||
| Je n'ai pas mangé tant que toi. | J'ai mangé autant que toi. | |||
| - I didn't eat as much as you. | - I ate as much as you. | |||
| A-t-il tant d'amis que toi ? | Il a autant d'amis que toi. | |||
| - Does he have as many friends as you? |
- He has as many friends as you. |
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| Tant can express an indefinite quantity. | ||||
| Il fait tant par jour... | ||||
| - He does so much (x amount) per day... | ||||
| tant pour cent | ||||
| - such and such a percent |
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| Expressions | ||||
| en tant que | as, like | autant... autant | as... as | |
| tant bien que mal | as best one can | autant que possible | as much as possible | |
| tant et plus | a lot | c'est autant de | that's ... at least | |
| tant et si bien que | so much so that | comme autant de | like so many | |
| tant il est vrai que | since, as | d'autant | accordingly, in proportion | |
| tant mieux | so much the better | d'autant mieux | even / all the better | |
| tant pis | never mind, too bad | d'autant moins | even less | |
| tant qu'à | may as well | D'autant plus ! | All the more reason! | |
| tant s'en faut | far from it | d'autant plus... que | all the more so | |
| tant soit peu | remotely, at all | en... autant | the same | |
| pour autant | for all that | |||
| pour autant que je sache | as far as I know | |||
| French Adverbs Confusing French Pairs |
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