Tan and tanto are some of the indefinidos, those words that show an indefinite quantity. Let’s check out how they are used!

Tanto, tan

• Tanto is used before nouns, acting as an adjective:

Tengo tanto miedo de dormir sola. [I’m so afraid / I have so much fear of sleeping alone.]
Siento tantas ganas de comer chocolate. [I have such a desire to eat chocolate.]

• It can also be used as an adverb:

Nunca vi llover tanto. [I’ve never seen it rain so much.]

• When used in the plural (tantos/tantas) it means muchos/muchas.

Te he dicho tantas veces que no me mintieras. [I’ve told you so many times not to lie to me.]
Hay tantos intereses detrás de esas negociaciones. [There’s so much hiddren agenda behind those negotiations.]

• It can also be used as a comparative:

– Tengo muchos amigos. ¿Y tú? [I have many friends. What about you?]
– No tengo tantos. [I don’t have as many.]

– Me da mucho miedo la idea de la muerte. [The idea of dying creeps me out.]
– A mí, no tanto. [As for me, not so much.]

• Un tanto means un poco, algo, una parte de, cierta cantidad, and in these cases it loses the notion of its indefinite use:

Lo veo un tanto raro hoy. [He looks kind of weird today.]
Tienes que guardar un tanto todos los meses para tus gastos de viaje. [You have to save some money every month for your travel expenses.]

• Tan is the short form of tanto. It’s used before an adjective in the singular form, acting as an adverb:

Lo veo tan guapa. [She looks so beautiful.]
Lo siento tan triste. [I feel he’s so sad.]

Remember that reading and listening to natural Spanish is your great ally when you learn Spanish so pay close attention, ok?

Nos vemos prontito.