Inklingo
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tanta

/TAHN-tah/

so much

A small girl struggling to hold an enormous, overflowing bouquet of vibrant, colorful flowers that completely hide her torso.

Illustrating 'tanta' as an adjective meaning 'so much' quantity, such as 'tanta flor' (so much flower/so many flowers).

tanta(Adjective)

fA1

so much

?

quantity/intensity (with feminine singular noun)

,

as much

?

in comparisons (as much as)

Also:

that much

?

referring to a known, large quantity

📝 In Action

Nunca había visto tanta nieve en la ciudad.

A1

I had never seen so much snow in the city.

No tengo tanta paciencia como mi hermana.

A2

I don't have as much patience as my sister.

¿Por qué comes tanta pizza?

A1

Why are you eating so much pizza?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mucha (a lot of)
  • demasiada (too much)

Antonyms

  • poca (little)

Common Collocations

  • tanta gente – so many people / such a crowd
  • tanta prisa – such a rush

💡 Grammar Points

Must Match the Noun

"Tanta" is the feminine singular form and MUST always be followed by a feminine singular word (like 'paciencia' or 'agua').

Adverbial Use (Comparison)

Use the structure 'tanta... como...' to make comparisons meaning 'as much... as...' (e.g., 'tanta fuerza como').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'tanto' instead of 'tanta'

Mistake: "Hay tanto lluvia hoy."

Correction: Hay tanta lluvia hoy. (Because 'lluvia' is feminine.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Emphasis and Surprise

Using 'tanta' often shows surprise or emphasizes that the quantity is unusually large, similar to saying 'Wow, so much!'

A tiny, solitary gold coin resting at the base of an impossibly large, towering mountain made entirely of identical gold coins.

Here, 'tanta' acts as a pronoun, referring to a large quantity previously mentioned, like referencing 'tanta moneda' (so many coins).

tanta(Pronoun)

fB1

so much

?

referring to a previously known quantity of a feminine noun

Also:

that much

?

quantity referred to implicitly

📝 In Action

Necesitamos harina para el pastel, pero no tanta.

B1

We need flour for the cake, but not that much.

Ella tiene dos casas. Yo no quiero tanta.

B2

She has two houses. I don't want that many.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • Tanto va el cántaro a la fuente... – You can only push your luck so far (literally: The jug goes so many times to the fountain...)

💡 Grammar Points

Standing Alone

When 'tanta' is used as a pronoun, it doesn't need a noun immediately after it because it is replacing the noun.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tanta

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'tanta' correctly?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tanto(so much (masculine)) - adjective
tantos(so many (masculine plural)) - adjective
tantas(so many (feminine plural)) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know whether to use 'tanto' or 'tanta'?

The rule is simple: look at the noun that comes after it. If the noun is feminine (like 'vida', 'ropa', 'suerte'), use 'tanta'. If the noun is masculine (like 'tiempo', 'dinero', 'esfuerzo'), use 'tanto'.

Does 'tanta' mean 'so much' or 'so many'?

'Tanta' means 'so much' because it is singular. The plural form, 'tantas', means 'so many' (e.g., 'Tengo tantas amigas' - I have so many friends).