чым ..., тым ...
The More ... the More
Чым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш. (The more you read, the better you write.) The first half starts with чым, the second with тым.
How It Works
English uses the ... the ... in both halves. Belarusian uses two different words: чым in the first half and тым in the second. A comma separates the two halves.
Comparatives. Each half needs a comparative. Most often these are comparative adverbs: больш, менш, лепш, горш, раней, хутчэй, халадней. Comparative adjectives work too: Чым прасцейшы план, тым лепш.
- With verbs: Чым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш.
- Without verbs, as a short saying: Чым раней, тым лепш. (The sooner, the better.)
- With tenses: Чым вышэй мы падымаліся, тым халадней станавілася.
Not the same чым. This чым is different from the чым that means than in comparisons: Ён старэйшы, чым я. In the pair, чым always comes first and is answered by тым.
For the highest degree, use superlatives or як мага.
Examples (6)
- Чым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш.
The more you read, the better you write.
Word by Word: By-what more you-read, by-that better you-write.
- Чым раней, тым лепш.
The sooner, the better.
Word by Word: By-what earlier, by-that better.
- Чым вышэй мы падымаліся, тым халадней станавілася.
The higher we climbed, the colder it got.
Word by Word: By-what higher we climbed, by-that colder it-became.
- Чым больш я яго ведаю, тым больш ён мне падабаецца.
The better I know him, the more I like him.
Word by Word: By-what more I him know, by-that more he to-me is-pleasing.
- Чым хутчэй мы пачнём, тым хутчэй скончым.
The sooner we start, the sooner we will finish.
Word by Word: By-what faster we will-start, by-that faster we-will-finish.
- Чым прасцейшы план, тым лепш.
The simpler the plan, the better.
Word by Word: By-what simpler plan, by-that better.
Common Mistakes
Using тым in both halves, copying English the ... the.
Тым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш.Чым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш.The first half always starts with чым. Тым belongs only to the second half.
Using a plain adverb instead of a comparative.
Чым рана, тым лепш.Чым раней, тым лепш.Each half compares degrees, so it needs a comparative form such as раней, not the plain рана.
Leaving out the comma between the halves.
Чым больш чытаеш тым лепш пішаш.Чым больш чытаеш, тым лепш пішаш.The two halves are separate clauses, so a comma divides them.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The more ... the more needs comparatives and чым.
Related Patterns
- Comparatives in -ейшыComparative Adjectives in -ейшы
Comparative adjectives can also fill the halves: чым прасцейшы, тым лепш.
Level 3 - больш / менш + AdjectiveComparatives with Больш and Менш
Больш and менш are the most common words in this pair.
Level 3 - найбольш / як магаMost and as ... as Possible
Expresses the highest degree rather than two degrees growing together.
Level 4 - тым больш штоAll the More Since
Another fixed phrase built with тым, meaning all the more since.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice чым ..., тым ... in Bubblegum
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