Comparisons of Equality

After you have learned how to say that one thing is more or less than another, the next step is to say that two things are equal. Spanish has a dedicated set of structures for comparisons of equality, and they work a little differently depending on whether you are comparing adjectives/adverbs, nouns, or actions (verbs).

All three structures use the word como (as), but the word before it changes based on what you are comparing. Get these three patterns right and you will be able to make equal comparisons about almost anything.

Tan + Adjective/Adverb + Como

The first pattern uses tan before an adjective or adverb. This is equivalent to English as... as....

Tan + adjective + como means as + adjective + as.

Notice that tan works for both adjectives (alto, grande, bonito) and adverbs (rápido, bien, lentamente). You do not need to change tan at all — it never takes a feminine or plural form, because it modifies the adjective or adverb directly.

Compare these two English translations:

• Juan es tan alto como Pedro. (Juan is as tall as Pedro.)
• Juan no es tan alto como Pedro. (Juan is not as tall as Pedro.)

The negative form is formed by simply adding no before the verb. Everything else stays the same.

Tanto/a/os/as + Noun + Como

When you are comparing quantities of a noun, you use tanto (meaning as much or as many) instead of tan. And here is the crucial detail: tanto must agree with the noun in gender and number.

Remember that gente is a feminine singular noun in Spanish (even though it translates as people), so you say tanta gente, not tantas gentes. Always match the gender and number of the noun exactly.

Tanto Como After a Verb

When you are comparing how much two subjects do something — that is, comparing verbs or actions — you use tanto como right after the verb. In this case, tanto does not change form. It stays as the default tanto because it is no longer agreeing with a noun.

Notice the pattern: verb + tanto como + second subject. This is slightly different from the noun pattern — there is no noun between tanto and como. The tanto is functioning like an adverb here, describing the verb.

Tan as an Intensifier

A bonus use of tan is as a plain intensifier, equivalent to English so. In this case, there is no comparison — tan just emphasizes an adjective or adverb.

Here tan is not followed by como. It stands alone as an intensifier. Context tells you whether tan is being used for comparison or for intensification — but if there is no como coming, it is intensification.

Similarly, tanto can be used without como to mean so much or so many:

These are exclamatory and emphatic, not comparative. Learn to recognize both uses of tan and tanto.

Igual de... Que and Así Como

Besides tan... como and tanto... como, Spanish has a few other equality expressions worth knowing.

Igual de + adjective + que is a very common spoken alternative:

This pattern emphasizes absolute equality — exactly the same, not just similar. It is especially common in everyday Latin American speech.

Así como is more formal and means just as or in the same way as:

This is often found in writing and formal speech. For everyday conversations, stick with tan... como and tanto... como.

With both inequality and equality covered, you now have the tools to make any kind of comparison in Spanish. To review the opposite pattern, see Comparisons of Inequality. For details on irregular forms and fine points of adjective comparison, continue to the adjectives section.