quão

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese quan, from Latin quam.

Pronunciation

Adverb

quão (not comparable)

1. how (to what degree)

   quão grande ― how big

Usage notes

• In Brazil, use of this adverb in questions is somewhat formal. Such questions are more commonly expressed with semantically equivalent nouns, or with ter (“to have”) and a unit of measure:

  quão grande era o peixe? (“how big was the fish?”) → qual era o tamanho do peixe? (“what was the size of the fish?”)

  quão velho é seu pai? (“how old is your father?”) → qual é a idade do seu pai? (“what is the age of your father?”) quantos anos tem o seu pai? (literally “how many years does your father have?”)

Preposition

quão

1. as (to the same extent or degree that)

   Synonym: quanto

   Ela é tão bonita quão inteligente.

   She is as beautiful as she is smart.