Result Clauses

Overview

Result clauses express consequences: so tired that I fell asleep, too small to reach.

• Spanish: Uses tan + adjective/adverb + que and tanto + noun + que. The subjunctive may appear for hypothetical results. Demasiado…para expresses “too…to.”
• English: Uses so + adjective/adverb + that and such + (a/an) + adjective + noun + that. “Too…to” and “…enough to” are also common.
• Chinese: Uses 太tài + adjective + 了le for “too.” Result is introduced with 以yǐ至zhì于yú or simply juxtaposed. 这zhè么mó/那nà么mó equates to “so.”

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Comparison at a glance

Pattern	Spanish	English	Chinese
So + adj + that	tan + adj + que	so + adj + that	太tài/这zhè么mó + adj + 以yǐ至zhì于yú
So much + noun + that	tanto + noun + que	so much/many + noun + that	这zhè么mó多duō + noun + 以yǐ至zhì于yú
Such + noun + that	tan + adj + noun + que	such + a/an + adj + noun + that	这zhè么mó + adj + noun
Too + adj + to	demasiado + adj + para	too + adj + to	太tài + adj + 了le + 不bù能néng
Enough to	lo suficientemente + adj + para	adj + enough + to	够gòu + adj + 可kě以yǐ

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Examples in context

He is so tall that he hits his head

• ES: Es tan alto que se golpea la cabeza.
• EN: He’s so tall that he hits his head.
• ZH: 他tā太tài高gāo了le，以yǐ至zhì于yú会huì碰pèng到dào头tóu。

It’s too expensive to buy

• ES: Es demasiado caro para comprarlo.
• EN: It’s too expensive to buy.
• ZH: 太tài贵guì了le，买mǎi不bù起qǐ。

She is old enough to vote

• ES: Es lo suficientemente mayor para votar.
• EN: She’s old enough to vote.
• ZH: 她tā够gòu年nián龄líng了le，可kě以yǐ投tóu票piào。

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Common mistakes

1. Chinese speakers learning English: Using very instead of so: He was very tired that he slept → He was so tired that he slept

2. English speakers learning Spanish: Forgetting agreement in tanto: tanto dinero → correct, but tanta agua → must agree

3. English speakers learning Chinese: Omitting 了le: 太tài贵guì → 太tài贵guì了le

4. Spanish speakers learning English: Using such with adjective alone: He is such tall → He is so tall

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Related topics

• Comparisons: How degree and comparison overlap
• Modals: How ability relates to “too…to” and “enough”
• Subjunctive: How Spanish uses subjunctive in hypothetical results
• Word Order: How result clauses are structured