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 Team Updated on 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 that au cas où > in case aussitôt que > as soon as avant que** > before bien que* > although dans l'hypothèse où > in the event that de crainte que** > for fear that de façon que* > in such a way that de manière que* > so that de même que > just as de peur que** >for fear that depuis que > since de sorte que* > so that, in such a way that dès que > as soon as en admettant que* > assuming that en attendant que* > while, until encore que* > even though jusqu'à ce que* > until parce que > because pendant que > while pour que* > so that pourvu que* > provided that quand bien même > even though/if quoi que* > whatever, no matter what sans que** > without sitôt que > as soon as supposé que* > supposing tandis que > while, whereas tant que > as long as vu 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 Que French Conjunctions The Subjunctivator Quiz: Subjunctive or indicative? Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "Does The French Conjunction 'Tant Que' Need the Subjunctive?" ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/does-tant-que-subjunctive-1369309. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). Does The French Conjunction 'Tant Que' Need the Subjunctive? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/does-tant-que-subjunctive-1369309 Team, ThoughtCo. "Does The French Conjunction 'Tant Que' Need the Subjunctive?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/does-tant-que-subjunctive-1369309 (accessed June 2, 2023). copy citation Featured Video