quant à

"quant à" is a French prepositional phrase commonly used in written and spoken language to introduce a topic, specify, or indicate reference to something previously mentioned or about to be discussed.

Meaning:

• "quant à" translates to English as "as for," "regarding," "with respect to," or "concerning."
• It is used to shift the focus of the conversation or text to a particular subject, often contrasting or specifying something related to previous information.

Parts:

• quant: comes from the verb quanter (obsolete in modern usage), now part of the fixed phrase.
• à: a preposition, meaning “to” or “at."

Together, they form a fixed phrase meaning "regarding" or "as for."

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Examples in French:

• Quant à lui, il n’était pas d’accord.
  (As for him, he did not agree.)

• Quant à la situation économique, elle reste incertaine.
  (Regarding the economic situation, it remains uncertain.)

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Synonyms in French:

• en ce qui concerne (with respect to)
• concernant (regarding)
• pour ce qui est de (as far as ... is concerned)
• relativement à (relatively to)

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Antonyms:

"quant à" is a phrase used to introduce a topic; it doesn't have a direct antonym but can be contrasted with phrases that close discussion or shift focus away, e.g.:

• sans rapport avec (unrelated to)
• en dehors de (outside of, apart from)

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Note:

• "quant à" is always followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
• It is semi-formal and often used in written French, formal speech, or reports. In everyday spoken French, simpler phrases like "pour" or "en ce qui concerne" may be preferred.