Muy vs. tan

[laepelba]

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"?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

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. :thinking:


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. :eek:
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. :thinking:

[laepelba]

Thank you! That makes perfect sense ... and your examples are always helpful!! Esto es muy bueno para saber!!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

"Es muy bueno saber esto" ;)

[laepelba]

"Es muy bueno saber esto" ;)

AHH! Eso es mucho mejor que lo que yo dije! :)

[chileno]

Thank you! That makes perfect sense ... and your examples are always helpful!! Esto es muy bueno para saber!!

"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?

[laepelba]

It's not confusing. There are lots of things that ARE confusing. Not this one. :)

[CrOtALiTo]

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.:)

[chileno]

It's not confusing. There are lots of things that ARE confusing. Not this one. :)

Because it ressembles "it is something good of knowing"? :)

[pinosilano]

Estoy tan cansado que dormiría doce horas seguidas.
Estoy muy cansado. Dormiría doce horas seguidas.