Published October 8, 2024 • Updated August 10, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Tant que meaning
Tant que is a French expression with several common meanings depending on the sentence. It most often means “as long as” or “while” when describing a condition that continues over a period of time. For example, “Tant que tu habites ici, tu dois respecter les règles” (As long as you live here, you have to respect the rules).
Tant que can also mean “as much as” in comparisons, as in “Je ne travaille pas tant que lui” (I don’t work as much as him). In the expressions tant que ça and pas tant que ça, it means “that much/that long” and “not that much/not really.”
Tant que pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of tant que is /tɑ̃ kə/, which sounds approximately like “tahn-kuh.”
Tant que example sentences
Tant que tu fais la tête, tu ne joueras pas avec les autres enfants.
As long as you’re sulking, you won’t play with the other kids.
Je ne travaille pas tant que mes collègues.
I don’t work as much as my colleagues.
Est-ce qu’il est beau? – Pas tant que ça.
Is he handsome? – Not really.
Il y a déjà 20 ans. — Tant que ça ?
It’s already been 20 years. — That long?
👉 Autant (as much, as many) »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- aussi longtemps que — as long as
- tant que ça — that much, that long
- pas tant que ça — not that much, not really
- autant que — as much as, as many as
- tellement que — so much that, so … that
- jusqu’à ce que — until
- pendant que — while
📚 Related lessons
👉 Tant mieux (so much the better) »
👉 Tant pis (too bad, oh well) »
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