Tiom points to a quantity: “that much,” “that many,” or emphatic “so much/many.” The quantity may already have been stated, may be visible, or may be identified by a following comparison or result. All unmarked uses on this page are neutral in register.
The quantity cell in the 5×9 system
Esperanto's table words combine one of five initial elements with one of nine final elements. The initial ti- is demonstrative: it points to an identifiable value. The ending -om selects quantity or number. Together, ti- + -om gives tiom, “that quantity.”
| Form | Quantity force | Typical English |
|---|---|---|
| kiom | question/relative | how much/many; as much/many as |
| tiom | demonstrative | that much/many; so much/many |
| iom | indefinite, normally small but significant | some; a little |
| ĉiom | total quantity | all of it |
| neniom | zero quantity | none; not at all |
The system removes the English split between “much” and “many”: tiom works for countable people and uncountable water alike.
Kiom da seĝoj ni bezonas? — Tiom sufiĉos.
How many chairs do we need? — That many will be enough.
Mi petis iom da akvo, ne tiom.
I asked for a little water, not that much.
Tiom on its own
Tiom can fill a noun-like quantity role without naming the measured material again. It can be subject, complement, or object in meaning, but its form never changes.
Ni mendis dek ekzemplerojn, sed la vendejo havis nur tiom.
We ordered ten copies, but the shop had only that many.
Tiom restos post la festo, se ĉiuj prenos unu pecon.
That much will remain after the party if everyone takes one piece.
In the first example, English “them” might suggest a plural pronoun. Esperanto instead keeps attention on the number already mentioned. Tiom means the amount, not the individual items as a group.
Naming what is measured: tiom da
Use tiom da + noun phrase when the following noun names the substance or class being measured. The noun after da normally has no article because it supplies the kind of material, not a separately identified set.
Mi ne sciis, ke ni bezonos tiom da faruno.
I didn't know that we would need that much flour.
Kial estas tiom da homoj antaŭ la teatro?
Why are there so many people in front of the theater?
Do not make tiom agree with that noun. The plural idea is already inside the quantity construction. The count noun itself remains plural where its meaning is plural: tiom da homoj, not tiomaj homoj and not tiom da homo.
Da and de are not interchangeable. Tiom da kuko measures cake as material. Tiom de la kuko selects that quantity out of the already identified cake. The article belongs to the de-phrase because a particular whole is being partitioned.
For the broader distinction between measured quantity and source or possession, see the dedicated preposition da guide.
Restis tiom da kuko, ke ni portis du pecojn hejmen.
So much cake remained that we took two pieces home.
Mi manĝis nur tiom de la kuko; la ceteron mi lasis por vi.
I ate only that much of the cake; I left the rest for you.
Correlation and result
The pair tiom ... kiom matches two quantities. It works with a named measure, with da-phrases, or with quantities understood from context.
Prenu tiom da pano, kiom vi efektive manĝos.
Take as much bread as you will actually eat.
Mi ne povas elspezi tiom, kiom mi enspezas ĉi-monate.
I cannot spend as much as I am earning this month.
A ke-clause can identify a large quantity indirectly by its consequence. This is the quantitative counterpart of degree tiel ... ke.
Hodiaŭ venis tiom da mendoj, ke ni devis alvoki plian kurieron.
So many orders came today that we had to call another courier.
The negative comparison ne tiom ... kiom means “not as much/many as.” It does not necessarily mean a small amount; it only places one amount below another.
La riparo ne kostis tiom, kiom ni timis.
The repair did not cost as much as we feared.
Quantity versus degree
Tiom normally measures an amount or number. Tiel normally measures the degree of an adjective or adverb: tiom da tempo, but tiel longa tempo. With multe, both tiel multe and tiom can express the same broad quantity, but tiom is more compact and directly selects the quantity cell.
Mi ne povas tiel rapide tajpi, ĉar mi havas tiom da notoj por kontroli.
I cannot type that quickly because I have so many notes to check.
In established usage, tiom can also replace degree tiel to emphasize an exceptionally high degree, especially in exclamatory contexts. That extension is accepted, but learners should first master the transparent division: tiom for quantity, tiel for ordinary degree.
Mi tiom ĝojas, ke vi finfine venis!
I am so glad that you finally came!
Here tiom heightens the degree of joy. The neutral analytical alternative is Mi tiel ĝojas. This is not a license to replace tiel everywhere.
Form and scope
All -om correlatives are invariant: no plural -j, no accusative -n. This remains true when tiom is semantically the direct object.
Mi pagis tiom, ĉar la laboro daŭris tri tagojn.
I paid that much because the work lasted three days.
Place tiom next to the expression it quantifies. Nur tiom mi promesis focuses the limited quantity; Mi nur promesis tiom more readily makes nur focus the act of promising. Esperanto allows flexible order, but proximity gives the reader a clear scope cue.
Common Mistakes
Adding case or number endings
❌ Mi ne povas pagi tiomn.
Incorrect — tiom never takes accusative -n.
✅ Mi ne povas pagi tiom.
I cannot pay that much.
❌ Tiomj da gastoj ne povos komforte sidi en la ĉambro.
Incorrect — the -om form cannot take plural -j.
✅ Tiom da gastoj ne povos komforte sidi en la ĉambro.
That many guests will not be able to sit comfortably in the room.
Omitting da before the measured noun
❌ Ni ne atendis tiom homojn.
Incorrect — a noun naming the measured class requires da.
✅ Ni ne atendis tiom da homoj.
We did not expect so many people.
Building an English-based hybrid
❌ Kiel-multe da tempo restas?
Incorrect — do not manufacture a table word by translating English ‘how much.’
✅ Kiom da tempo restas? — Restas nur tiom.
How much time remains? — Only that much remains.
Putting da before an adjective
❌ La tunelo estas tiom da longa kiel la malnova.
Incorrect — da introduces a noun naming what is measured, not an adjective of degree.
✅ La tunelo estas tiel longa kiel la malnova.
The tunnel is as long as the old one.
Key Takeaways
Tiom points to a known or contextually recoverable quantity. Use it alone or in tiom da + noun, compare with tiom ... kiom, and express a quantity-result relation with tiom ... ke. It never takes -j or -n. Prefer tiel for ordinary adjectival or adverbial degree, while recognizing emphatic degree tiom as established usage.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Kiom: The Question/Relative Quantity CorrelativeA2 — Ask and relate amounts, numbers, measurements, and emphatic degrees with the invariant quantity word kiom.
- Tiel: The Demonstrative Manner CorrelativeB1 — Use tiel for a demonstrated manner or degree, and distinguish it from tia, tiom, and tial.
- Iom: The Indefinite Quantity CorrelativeB2 — Use iom for a small but meaningful indefinite quantity or degree, with da phrases and without case or plural endings.
- DaA2 — Use da to connect a quantity or measure to the indefinite substance, people, or things that make up that quantity.
- Quantity ComparisonB2 — Compare amounts and counts with pli da, pli multaj, tiom… kiom…, and numerical thresholds while keeping degree and addition distinct.