Setting limits with "tan... como para"
In English, we might say someone is "so naive as to believe a lie" or "so proud as to reject help." To express this kind of threshold in Spanish, use the formula tan + [adjective] + como para + [infinitive].
| He is not so naive as to believe that lie. | Él no es tan ingenuo como para creer esa mentira. |
| She is not so proud as to reject your help. | Ella no es tan orgullosa como para rechazar tu ayuda. |
Using nouns with "tanto... como para"
When setting a limit based on an amount of something rather than an adjective (like feeling "so much pain" or having "so much money"), use tanto instead of tan.
Because tanto is describing a noun here, it must agree in gender and number with that noun (tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas).
| She does not feel so much pain as to become resentful. | Ella no siente tanto dolor como para volverse rencorosa. |
| I do not have so much money as to be indifferent to the price. | No tengo tanto dinero como para ser indiferente al precio. |
Positive thresholds and negative actions
While you will frequently hear this structure in negative sentences to show a breaking point hasn't been reached, it works just as well in the positive.
Additionally, if the consequence itself is a negative action (e.g., "as to not say anything"), simply place no right before the infinitive verb.
| My sister is so sensible as to save that money. | Mi hermana es tan sensata como para ahorrar ese dinero. |
| She was so cautious as not to say anything about the secret. | Ella fue tan prudente como para no decir nada del secreto. |
