Comparisons of Equality
To make comparisons of equality we use the formula:
tan + adjective + como
or
tan + adverb + como
When using an adjective you need to be sure it agrees with the first noun mentioned. For example:
Girls are as playful as boys.
Boys are as playful as girls.
Chicken is as tasty as meat.
Meat is as tasty as chicken.
Let's look at some other example sentences:
It is as good as I expected.
It is not as easy as you believe.
He has as much money as he can wish.
I am no longer as carefree as I was when I was 10 years old.
I did not believe he had as many houses as you.
My brother is no longer as chubby as he was when he was 10 years old.
Girls learn as fast as boys.
Meat is prepared as quickly as chicken (is).
To make comparisons of equality using verbs we use the formula:
verb + tanto como
Expressions with verbs show no agreement:
Juan Works as much as I do.
My little sister swims as much as a fish.
I no longer play as much as I used to.
When I was young I used to swim as much as a fish.
Cuanto . . . . . (tanto), followed by any comparatives, translate to English as:
-
'the more . . . . . the less'
'the more . . . . . the more'
'the less . . . . . the less' etc.
The more he earns, the more he spends.
The more you ask of him, the more he will give you.
"Than" is ordinarily expressed by que.
I have more money than you.
He walks faster than she.
Before numerals or numerical expressions, ' than ' is expressed by de in affirmative sentences and by either que or de in negative sentences.
They gave me more than twenty dollars.
He didn't have more than two books.
When each member of the comparison has a different verb, or the second member of the comparison repeats the verb of the first, de is generally used for 'than ' in preference to que. Furthermore, if an adjective is the point of comparison, de is followed by the relative lo que ('that which'), and if a noun is the point of comparison, by the relatives el que, la que, los que, las que ('the one which,' 'those which ').
He is better than (that which) they thought.
He brought less than he promised.
I have more money than (that which) I loaned you.
He bought me less books than (those which) I thought he would buy me.
tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + como
Tanto agrees with the noun in number and gender:
I don't have as much energy as before.
You have as many books as a library (does).
We need as much attention as they do.
My sister isn't as willing to play as she was when she was 10 years old.
I don't have as much pride as I used to have when I was a kid.
