Languages › French Does The French Conjunction 'Tant Que' Need the Subjunctive? The French connector 'tant que' deals in certainty, so no subjunctive here. Share Flipboard Email Print French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated August 27, 2017 Tant que is a conjunctive phrase (locution conjonctive) that, unlike many other conjunctive phrases, does not need the subjunctive. It means "as / so much as" or "as long as / while / since," depending on the context. Tant que is a phrase that communicates certainty and intensifies quantity, frequency, degree and the like. Thus, there is really no reason for the subjective subjunctive. Tant que tu es ici, tu peux m'aider. > As long as / Since you're here, you can help me.J'ai tant lu que j'ai mal aux yeux. > I read so much that my eyes hurt.Il a tant manger, qu'il est malade. > He ate so much that he's sick.Tant que tu es la, cherche mes lunettes. > As long as / since you're here, look for my glasses.Tu peux rester tant que tu veux. > You can stay as long as you want. 'Tant Que' vs. 'Autant Que' Do not confuse tant que with autant que, another conjunctive phrase that seems similar but is really more about equalizing and comparisons. It, too, is an adaptable and widely used phrase in French that has a number of possible meanings in English: as far as, as / so much as or as long as / while. So while tant que is about intensity, autant que is about balance. Autant que communicates conjecture and doubt, so the verb following it should be in the subjunctive, indicated in bold below: Autant que je me souvienne... > As far as I remember...Autant que je vous le dise tout de suite. > I may as well tell you right now. Other French Conjunctive Phrases A conjunctive phrase is a group of two or more words that function as a conjunction that links clauses. French conjunctive phrases end in que, and many, but not all, are subordinating conjunctions, rather than coordinating conjunctions, that require a subjunctive verb. One asterisk below indicates those that take the subjunctive. à condition que* > provided thatafin que* > so thatainsi que > just as, so asalors que > while, whereasautant que* > as far as / as much as / whileà mesure que > as (progressively)à moins que** > unlessaprès que > after, when à supposer que* > assuming thatau cas où > in caseaussitôt que > as soon asavant que** > beforebien que* > althoughdans l'hypothèse où > in the event thatde crainte que** > for fear thatde façon que* > in such a way thatde manière que* > so thatde même que > just asde peur que** >for fear thatdepuis que > sincede sorte que* > so that, in such a way thatdès que > as soon asen admettant que* > assuming thaten attendant que* > while, untilencore que* > even thoughjusqu'à ce que* > untilparce que > becausependant que > whilepour que* > so thatpourvu que* > provided thatquand bien même > even though/ifquoi que* > whatever, no matter whatsans que** > withoutsitôt que > as soon assupposé que* > supposingtandis que > while, whereastant que > as long asvu que > seeing as/that *These conjunctions must be followed by the subjunctive.**These conjunctions require the subjunctive as well as the ne explétif, a more formal negation that uses ne without pas. Additional Resources Tant Que vs. Autant QueFrench ConjunctionsThe SubjunctivatorQuiz: Subjunctive or indicative?