Is this a comparative sentence?

Question

Te necesito tanto como el aire que respiro. I need you like the air I breathe.

This sentence was on my other site I use and we are studying comparatives in class. I know tanto...como is used for comparatives and this sentence has those words but to me the translation sucks as far as understanding how the comparative is working. Please make my head clearer. I have been at it for 2 days now preparing for the final and it is all running together.

Gracias

Answer 1

No le des más vueltas, es así.

That's how it is, idon't know what would be the correct form in English but in Spanish is right.

It is of course metaphorical and in the context of loving someone as bad as to choke for, but the comparative is there

Your idiom means 'Don't spend any more time on it, right Julian? :) - galsally, May 22, 2010

That's right, literally means "don't go around that anymore" - julianPdC, May 24, 2010

Answer 2

Hi Fox, Think of tanto como in this case as meaning "as much as."
I need you as much as the air I breathe.

Here is another example I saw on another website:

Nadie había hecho tanto como mi padre. (No one has done as much as my father.)

OK...now I get it! Gracias chris, tanto...como in my book says "as much as" not "like" so there was my confusion but all the examples show tanto [noun] como. - foxluv, May 21, 2010

excellent answer, welcome to the forum, chris:) - 00494d19, May 21, 2010

Answer 3

Unless I am mistaken the comparison is likening the person to the air, saying both are equally important in order to live.