Tant ou autant?

The French words TANT and AUTANT can be easily mixed up for we anglophones. So, let's dive straight into finding out how to use them!

• tant

• tant de

• tant que

• autant de

• autant que

• en tant que

What does TANT mean in French?

First, let’s start with TANT.

You never say the final “t” and be sure to say it as a nasal sound. There are 3 ways to use this French word and combine with a preposition:

1. Tant >>> so
2. Tant de >>> so many
3. Tant que >>> so long as 

And now to look at some real examples for each one of them:

TANT DE for countable quantities.

The structure of TANT DE is commonly used for countable quantities and its general meaning is a large quantity. Indeed, an excessive quantity may cause some negative connotation like in this example:

• Il y a tant de viennoiseries dans notre boulangerie le dimanche qu’il faut les vendre à moitié prix le lundi >>> There are so many croissants in our bakery on Sundays that they sell them off at half price on Mondays.

When to use TANT DE?

TANT DE can also be broader and simply indicates a large quantity for uncountable things:

• Tant de positivité me motive beaucoup >>> So much positivity really motivates me.

The expression TANT QUE for time.

This time, let’s switch the preposition “de” for “que”. The meaning differs completely! TANT QUE refers to the same amount of time of 2 or more actions. It’s a synonym of “pendant que”. In English, it means “whilst” or “so long as”.

• Tant que je parle toujours en anglais, je ne vais jamais bien parler en français >>> So long as I keep speaking in English, I am never going to speak French well.

The expression TANT QUE to express obligation.

Besides, you can apply TANT QUE to express obligation. Why? Because it means “If I have to”. Let’s see an example to clarify:

• Tant que je mange dans un restaurant français, je préfère commander de la nourriture traditionelle >>> If I must eat in a French restaurant, I’d rather order traditional food.

How to compare with AUTANT.

Time to look at AUTANT and its variations:

• Autant que >>> as many / much…as
• Autant de >>> a lot of

AUTANT DE… QUE refers to the same quantity.

Whether you are comparing countable or uncountable things, as long as the quantity is the same,  AUTANT DE… QUE works! Not sure how to play with this expression? Let’s take a peek:

• Il y a autant de chiens que de chats >>> There are as many dogs as there are cats.

With uncountable quantity, it would be the same:

• Elle porte autant d’or que d’argent >>> She wears as much gold as silver.

AUTANT DE for large quantities.

The expression AUTANT DE is easier because it means “a lot”. Here’s an example for you:

• Il y avait autant de variétés de vins >>> There was such a variety of wine!

EN TANT QUE vs EN AUTANT QUE.

Let’s explain 2 grammatical structures with the preposition “que”:

• Autant que >>> provided
• En tant que >>> as

We’ll dive in, in the next section…

The French structure AUTANT QUE.

When you see the expression AUTANT QUE it implies a condition. In other words, if things are like we expect them to be, we do it like in this example:

• Autant qu’ il n’y ait pas de moustiques, on va faire un pique-nique à côté du lac >>> Provided there’s no mosquitoes, we’ll have a picnic by the river. 

How to use EN TANT QUE.

Unlike AUTANT QUE , the expression EN TANT QUE simply means “as” where you state the position, the person, the rank etc…

•  En tant que citoyen, ma réponse est un grand “non””! >>> As a citizen, ma answer is a big, fat “no”!

The multiple ways to use TANT and  AUTANT.

As we have seen, there are various ways to use TANT, AUTANT and their combinations:

• tant  >>> so

• tant de >>> so many / much

• tant que >>> so long as / whilst

• autant de >>> a lot of

• autant que >>> as many / much…as

• autant que >>> provided

• en tant que >>> as

No need to learn all of them in one day. I mean, why would you mess with your head like that!

Instead, start with “tant”, then “tant de”. After, you could “play” with “autant de”, “en tant que” and “autant que”. Once you master them, you can finish with the complex structures of “tant que” and “autant que”. Never forget to have your own examples in order to memorise them more easily.

Of course, any questions or doubts, I’m happy to help you!

So, what’s the structure you struggle to say and / or write in French in this list?