Qu Tal and Other Ways of Using Tal in Spanish

Qu Tal and Other Ways of Using Tal in Spanish To those learning Spanish, tal may best be known for being part of the question phrase  ¿quà © tal? but tal actually has a wide range of uses and meanings. Tal is of those words thats best thought of as representing a concept rather than as the equivalent of a particular English word. Functioning as an adverb, adjective, or pronoun, tal generally is used to refer in some way to something that has previously been said or implied, and it also is used in several common idioms. Here are the most common uses of tal: Tal As an Adjective As an adjective, tal often indicates that the accompanying noun refers to something mentioned earlier. When used this way, tal can often be thought of as meaning of that kind, and it is frequently translated as such. No existe tal lugar. (Such a place doesnt exist.) ¡Por quà © hay tal diferencia de precio? (Why is there such a price difference?)Habà ­a muchos tales libros en existencia a la hora de conquista espaà ±ola. (There were many books of that kind in existence at the time of the Spanish conquest.)Tal cosa jams se ha visto. (Such a thing has never been seen.)Si una persona afirma tal idea, lo haga por error o por ignorancia. (If a person asserts that kind of idea, he does it out of mistake or ignorance.) Tal As a Pronoun As a pronoun, tal refers to something that is vaguely like something else: No hay tal como la escuela perfecta. (Theres no such thing as  the perfect school.)Mi hermano come hamburguesas, pizza y tal. (My brother eats hamburgers, pizza and things like that.)Dà ­galo tal como es. (Tell it like it is.) Tal As an Adverb As an adverb, tal typically means something like just as or in such a way: Tal me habla que no sà © que decir. (He speaks to me in such a way that I dont know what to say.)La cmara ve el color tal cual es en realidad. (The camera sees the color just as it is in real life.)Todo est tal como antes. (Everything is just as it was before.) In Phrases To Express Purpose Con tal que usually means for the purpose of. The phrase is typically followed by an infinitive. The similar phrases con tal de que and con tal que (followed by a conjugated verb) can have a similar meaning but most often convey the idea of provided that, as long as or in the case that. El exgobernador habla en espaà ±ol con tal de ganar votos. (The former governor is speaking in Spanish in order to win votes.)Los senadores estn dispuestos a sacrificar la economà ­a con tal de que el presidente no sea reelegido. (The senators are inclined to sacrifice the economy so that the president isnt re-elected.)Con tal de que me salga mi casa, soy feliz. (Provided I leave my house, Im a happy person.)Con tal que me quieras, soy tuyo. (As long as you love me, Im yours.)Las personas que sufren de insomnio tratan con casi todo con tal de dormir. (People who suffer from insomnia try almost anything in order to sleep.)  ¿Quà © Tal? Tal functions as an adverb with quà © in questions to ask how people or things are. Literal translations of such sentences generally arent possible, since such questions are often casual and idiomatic, so context will determine whats meant. Hola  ¿quà © tal? (Hi, how are you?) ¿Quà © tal tu viaje? (How was your trip?) ¿Quà © tal tu dà ­a? (Hows your day going?) ¿Quà © tal lo estamos haciendo? (How are we doing?) Tal Vez The phrase tal vez means maybe or perhaps. The phrase, often written as talvez, especially in Latin America, is often followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood. Tal vez fuera el eco de una aparicià ³n. (Perhaps it was the echo of a ghost.)Tal vez compremos otro coche pequeà ±o. (Maybe well buy another small car.) Key Takeaways Because it can be translated in so many ways, it may be best to think of tal as a word that expresses the idea of something being like something else that has been said or implied previously.Tal can function as a pronoun, adjective, or adverb. It also functions as part of phrases such as tal vez in which the phrases has a meaning apart from the meanings of the individual words.One of the most common translations of tal is such, and a common phrase using the word is tal vez, meaning maybe.