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How to Say "just as" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tal

/tal//tal/

Adverbial PhraseB1General
Use 'tal como' when you mean 'in the same way that' or 'exactly as' something happened or was done, emphasizing the manner or method.
A person carefully tracing a drawing from one piece of paper to another, making an exact copy.

Examples

Todo sucedió tal como lo planeamos.

Everything happened just as we planned it.

Déjalo tal cual, no lo toques.

Leave it as is, don't touch it.

Te cuento la historia tal cual me la contaron.

I'm telling you the story just like they told it to me.

igual

/ee-GWAL//iˈɣwal/

AdverbA2General
Use 'igual de' followed by an adjective or adverb to indicate that two things are 'equally' or 'just as' a certain quality, emphasizing equality in a comparison.
A cartoon hand cutting a round, colorful cake into two perfectly equal halves with a knife.

Examples

Mi hermana es igual de alta que yo.

My sister is just as tall as me.

El profesor trata a todos los estudiantes por igual.

The teacher treats all the students equally.

Me da igual si vamos al cine o al parque.

I don't mind / It's all the same to me if we go to the movies or the park.

The Magic Formula: `igual de ... que`

To say 'just as [adjective] as', use this pattern: igual de + adjective + que. For example, Eres igual de inteligente que tu hermano. (You are just as smart as your brother).

Always Stays the Same

When 'igual' is used this way (as an adverb), it never changes. It's always 'igual', never 'iguala' or 'iguales', because it's describing the degree of an adjective, not a noun.

Forgetting 'de'

Mistake: “Mi coche es igual rápido que el tuyo.”

Correction: Remember to include `de` in your comparisons: `Mi coche es igual de rápido que el tuyo.` This little word is essential for the phrase to work.

según

ConjunctionB2General
Use 'según' when 'just as' means 'while' or 'in the process of doing something', indicating that an action is performed according to instructions or during another event.

Examples

Hazlo según te expliqué.

Do it as I explained to you.

Confusing 'tal como' with 'igual de'

Learners often confuse 'tal como' and 'igual de' because both relate to comparison. Remember that 'tal como' describes actions or events happening in the same way, while 'igual de' compares qualities using adjectives or adverbs.

Related Translations

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