This week, we answer a question from
our reader Nyinye, who says:
reader: lector;
Question: Hi, I keep
getting confused
with the words THEN and THAN. I know
that THAN is used in comparisons but
in some cases used as a
conjunction. I’m
confused. Nyinye.
I keep getting confused: sigo
confundiéndome; comparisons:
comparaciones; used as: es
utilizado como; conjunction:
conjunción; confused:
confundido;
Answer:
Hello Nyinye, It is easy to confuse
the words THEN and THAN. They look
and sound very similar. And even
some native English speakers find
them troublesome. So here is the
quickest way to remember:
look and sound: se ven y
suenan; even some native:
incluso algunos nativos; find
them troublesome: las encuentran
problemáticas; so here is:
así que aquí tienes; the quickest
way: la forma más rápida;
THEN (spelled
t-h-e-n) is used for TIME.
THAN (spelled t-h-a-n) is used in
COMPARISONS.
THEN (deletreado t-h-e-n) se utiliza
para TIEMPO.
THAN (deletreado t-h-a-n) se utiliza
para COMPARACIONES.
Let’s discuss each word in detail.
let's discuss: discutamos;
in detail: detalladamente;
THAN ("que" comparativo)
We use THAN to make comparisons
between two or more people or things.
Listen to some examples:
to make comparisons between:
para hacer comparaciones entre;
She can run faster THAN the other
girls.
Ella puede correr más rápido QUE las
otras chicas.
I would rather order food THAN cook
again.
Yo preferiría pedir comida QUE
cocinar otra vez.
The first example is a simple
and clear comparison. The second may
be a little less clear. But it does
compare two choices: ordering food
and cooking.
simple and clear: sencilla y
clara; may be: puede ser;
a little less clear: algo menos
clara; it does compare: ésta
compara; two choices: dos
opciones o alternativas; ordering
food: pedir o encargar comida;
cooking: cocinar;
NO LATER THAN ("a más tardar a las")
What may cause some people trouble
are expressions like NO LATER THAN
and NO EARLIER THAN. These
expressions involve time but still
use the word THAN. Here is an
example:
what may cause some people
trouble: las que pueden causarle
problemas a algunas personas; are
expressions like: son las
expresiones como; no later than:
a más tardar a las; no earlier
than: no antes de las;
involve time: implican tiempo;
but still use: pero aun así
utilizan;
I will be home NO LATER THAN 5
o’clock.
Estaré en casa A MÁS TARDAR A LAS 5
en punto.
It means the person will be back at
5 o’clock or sometime before 5
o’clock. Notice use of the
comparative adjective LATER before
the word THAN.
it means: esto significa
(que); will be back at:
regresará a las; sometime before:
un poco antes (de las); notice
use of the: observa el uso del;
comparative adjective: adjetivo
comparativo; before: antes de;
THEN ("luego", "a continuación")
Now, let’s discuss THEN. THEN is
used to talk about something as it
relates to time. We use it to say
what happened next or happens next.
Listen to some examples:
as it relates to time: en lo
que respecta al tiempo; what
happened next: que sucedió a
continuación;
Turn left after the bridge and THEN
follow the signs.
Dobla a la izquierda después del
puente y LUEGO sigue las
indicaciones.
We finished cleaning. THEN we played
a game.
Terminamos de limpiar. A
CONTINUACION jugamos un juego.
IF ... THEN
We also use THEN in conditional
sentences that have the form IF ...THEN,
like this:
that have the form: que
tienen el formato; like this:
como ésta;
If it rains, (THEN) we will go
somewhere else.
Si llueve, (ENTONCES) iremos a
algún otro lugar.
Note that in IF...THEN
sentences, the word THEN is not
required.
note that in: observa que en;
IF...THEN sentences: las
oraciones SI...ENTONCES; is not
required: no es indispensable.
And that’s Ask a Teacher.
I’m Alice Bryant.