# FR: autant / autant de



## Eddie

When I was a French student, I was taught that autant was accompanied by de when followed by a substantive: autant d'argent que, autant de véhicules que, etc.

Then I come across these sentences, and now I'm confused. What happened to de?

Reste à savoir si, à l'avenir, le consommateur fera autant confiance au pavillon européen.

LES QUÉBÉCOIS FONT AUTANT CONFIANCE AU GOUVERNEMENT FÉDÉRAL QU’À LEUR GOUVERNEMENT
PROVINCIAL.

Dans l’ensemble, 72% des personnes interrogées font autant confiance qu’avant aux avis des spécialistes.

Aujourd’hui, les Suisses restent fiers de leur pays mais ils n’ont plus autant confiance en l’avenir.


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## Starcreator

Autant just means "as much as", no? I have as much confidence in him as I do in my being able to lift a piano. Etc...


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## Eddie

It sounds right to me Starcreator, but you've answered only the second part of my question. Why isn't it _autant de confiance_?


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## Isotta

The difference between autant que/de is nicely spelled out here.

Hope this is the answer to your question.

Isotta.


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## Eddie

Thank you, Isotta; but I learned all of that as a high school student.
You also have failed to see the question I'm asking.
Look at the 2 examples. It's not a question of_ autant ... de_ or _autant ... que_.


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## beri

I think it is because here, it is "faire confiance" as a block, so no "de"
_Elle ne me fait pas autant confiance que toi _ (faire *ø* confiance)
_Elle n'accorde pas autant *d'*importance à cette oeuvre que ses pairs_ (accorder *de l'*attention)
_Il n'a pas fait autant attention qu'il l'aurait dû _ (faire *ø* attention)


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## Eddie

Hello, Beri.

I think I understand what you're saying. The placement of de after autant depends on the idiom being used.

Faire confiance is the idiom in question. There is no partitive form being used; whereas accorder de l'attention has a partitive, and keeps the partitive when used with autant.

Did I understand you correctly?


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## beri

I didn't check that with all idioms, but it is apparently the case, yup!


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## Eddie

In that case, I thank you for taking the time to respond to my persistent questions.


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## gliamo

beri said:
			
		

> I think it is because here, it is "faire confiance" as a block, so no "de"
> _Elle ne me fait pas autant confiance que toi _ (faire *ø* confiance)
> _Elle n'accorde pas autant *d'*importance à cette oeuvre que ses pairs_ (accorder *de l'*attention)
> _Il n'a pas fait autant attention qu'il l'aurait dû _ (faire *ø* attention)


What about the following: _Elle ne me fait pas aussi peur que toi_ (faire *ø *peur)
Not sure why but _autant_ wouldn't sound as good here...

G.


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## beri

Ed, you are so very welcome, glad to be helpful
gliamo: you're right, I can't find an explanation on the top of my head, but there has to be one


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## Cath.S.

Personnellement, _elle ne me fait pas autant peur que toi_. ne me choque pas du tout.

Beri, je crois que l'idiome que tu voulais employer en fait c'est _off the top of my head_. _On the top of my head_ signifie simplement _au sommet de ma tête_.


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## Eddie

So then, Egueule; you agree with Beri that when the partitive de is absent in an idiomatic expression such as, faire confiance or faire peur, it isn't needed when used with autant?


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## beri

guegue: exact 

j'y ai repensé et "ça ne me fait pas autant peur que quand j'ai passé le bac" is correct, but I like "ça ne me fait pas aussi peur que..." much more ("much better" correct?).


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## Cath.S.

Eddie said:
			
		

> So then, Egueule; you agree with Beri that when the partitive de is absent in an idiomatic expression such as, faire confiance or faire peur, it isn't needed when used with autant?


Tout à fait, Doudou.


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## Eddie

Beri,

C'est quoi guegue?


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## Gil

J'ai faim.
Je n'ai jamais eu autant faim.
J'ai du pain
Je n'ai jamais eu autant de pain.
Hope this helps.


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## Eddie

Thanks,  Gil. After all this expert help, including yours, I understand completely now.


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