Breakdown of Sinceramente, no creo que tengan tan mal gusto.
no
no, not
tener
to have
que
that / than
tan
as / so
creer
to believe
malo
bad
sinceramente
honestly / sincerely
el gusto
the taste
Questions & Answers about Sinceramente, no creo que tengan tan mal gusto.
Why is tengan used here instead of the indicative tienen?
This sentence uses the negative opinion trigger no creo que (I don't think/believe that). While creo que introduces a belief you declare as a reality (using the indicative), negating it with no introduces doubt, denial, or subjectivity. This shift in perspective requires the subjunctive form, tengan, in the dependent clause.
Why do we use tan here instead of tanto, considering gusto is a noun?
You are right to remember that tanto is used to quantify nouns (e.g., tanto gusto would mean "so much taste"). However, in this sentence, the word "such" or "so" is modifying the adjective mal (bad), not the noun itself. Because it modifies an adjective, we must use the adverb tan (tan mal = so bad).
Why is it mal gusto and not malo gusto?
Could I start this sentence with Honestamente instead of Sinceramente?
Yes, you can, and both are understood as "honestly." However, native speakers often prefer sinceramente or la verdad es que when saying "frankly" to introduce a personal opinion. Honestamente is typically used more literally to emphasize that you are telling the truth and not lying.
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