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Muy vs. tan

 

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  #1  
Old April 09, 2010, 10:06 PM
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Question Muy vs. tan

In my book, the exercise asked me to translate the following sentence: "Lucy is so tired!"

The answer key says: "¡Lucy está muy cansada!"

I thought it would be "tan"... Why is it "muy"?
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  #2  
Old April 09, 2010, 10:42 PM
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Can't make a technical explanation, but I hope this will help:

"So" doesn't have an automatic translation.
When you use "so" without a comparison (just to stress a situation), it's better to use "muy" in Spanish.
"Tan" is used when you're pondering.


Muy -> very, so.
Tan -> so (...that)


Estoy tan cansada, que quiero sentarme a llorar.
I'm so tired, that I want to sit down and cry.

Juan es tan guapo, que todos los hombres son feos junto a él.
Juan is so good looking, that every man is ugly beside him.

Esos niños son tan ruidosos, que los quiero estrangular.
Those children are so noisy, that I want to strangle them.


¡Te ves muy enfermo!
You look so sick!

¡Esto es muy raro!
This is so weird!

¡Esos niños son muy ruidosos!
Those children are so noisy!


No exageres, esto no es tan difícil (que no puedas entenderlo).
Don't exaggerate, this is not so hard (that you can't understand it).

Si al menos Juan no fuera tan maleducado (como es).
If only Juan weren't so impolite (as he is).

¡Tus plantas son tan bonitas (que me gustan mucho)!
Your plants are so pretty (that I like them so much)!

Parentheses here add some sentences that people can choose not to say, but that make the pondering complete.
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  #3  
Old April 09, 2010, 10:51 PM
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Thank you! That makes perfect sense ... and your examples are always helpful!! Esto es muy bueno para saber!!
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Old April 09, 2010, 10:53 PM
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"Es muy bueno saber esto"
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Old April 09, 2010, 10:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar View Post
"Es muy bueno saber esto"
AHH! Eso es mucho mejor que lo que yo dije!
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  #6  
Old April 10, 2010, 08:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
Thank you! That makes perfect sense ... and your examples are always helpful!! Esto es muy bueno para saber!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar View Post
"Es muy bueno saber esto"
O también puede ser "esto es muy bueno de saber"

Lou Ann: Sorry if this confuses you, but it is always better to know, right?
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  #7  
Old April 10, 2010, 12:17 PM
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It's not confusing. There are lots of things that ARE confusing. Not this one.
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  #8  
Old April 10, 2010, 01:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
In my book, the exercise asked me to translate the following sentence: "Lucy is so tired!"

The answer key says: "¡Lucy está muy cansada!"

I thought it would be "tan"... Why is it "muy"?
Because in the sentence she's very but very tired.
For example when you go to run in the beach during more than three hours, I guess that you finish tired and sweaty.
Then you will be very tired.

And the sentence says out there Lucy is very tired.
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  #9  
Old April 10, 2010, 04:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
It's not confusing. There are lots of things that ARE confusing. Not this one.
Because it ressembles "it is something good of knowing"?
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  #10  
Old January 27, 2016, 04:23 AM
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Estoy tan cansado que dormiría doce horas seguidas.
Estoy muy cansado. Dormiría doce horas seguidas.
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