Which is best in this sentence, tan or tanta?

Question

On my latest quiz, I was asked to write “Alicia has as much joy as Carmen.”
 I chose “Alicia tiene tanta alegría como Carmen”, because I understood  “tanta” means “as much/as many…as”. My answer was wrong. The correct answer is “Alicia tiene tan alegría como Carmen”. I thought “tan” here meant ”as…as”. Did I misunderstand something from the tan/tanta mini-lessons?

DENNIS NG · Accepted Answer

Tanta usually goes with nouns. Tan usually goes with adjectives and adverbs.

Alicia tiene tanta alegría como Carmen. - Alicia has as much happiness as Carmen. -> Happiness as a noun.

Alicia es tan alegre como Carmen. - Alicia is as happy as Carmen. -> Happy as an adjective.

Alicia canta tan alegremente como Carmen. - Alicia sings as happily as Carmen. -> Happily as an adverb.

Marsha Cornelius · Answer

Tanta alegría means so much joy.Tan ... como is a phrase that means as.. as

Inma Sánchez · Answer

Hola PescoI checked this question in the site and it is all set correctly, with correct answer "tanta alegría como.." (not "tan"). I had a look at your answer for this test-question and you did choose "tan", not "tanta". I think you probably misread the feedback. Saludos

Pesco E · Answer

Thank you for your help! I understand now. I appreciate the clarification, and Inma for checking the answer in the database. Yes, I must have misread the feedback.

Pesco E · Answer

Thank you for your help! I understand now. I appreciate the clarification, and Inma for checking the answer in the database. Yes, I must have misread the feedback.