This is the 8831st most frequent Spanish word.
tan
"Tan" means "so" or "as" in English, often used for comparison or emphasis.
In this sentence, 'tan' is used as a part of the comparative structure 'tan + adjective + como,' meaning 'as...as' to compare two items.
Este cuadro es tan hermoso como el otro.
This painting is as beautiful as the other.
Here, 'tan' modifies the adjective 'cansado' to express the degree to which the subject feels tired, translated as 'so' in English.
Estoy tan cansado que necesito descansar.
I am so tired that I need to rest.
In this example, 'tan' is used to intensify the adjective 'tarde,' again meaning 'so' in English, emphasizing the time of arrival.