je...desto/umso

The More...The More (Desto/umso)

Level 4

je + comparative (subordinate clause), desto/umso + comparative (main clause verb-second).

How It Works

The je...desto/umso construction is a Level 4 (B1/B2) structure used to describe how two things change together. It consists of two parts:

1. The Je-Clause (Subordinate): This clause sets the condition. It starts with je followed immediately by a comparative adjective. Because it is a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb must go to the very end.

2. The Desto/Umso-Clause (Main): This clause shows the result. It starts with desto or umso (which are interchangeable) followed by a comparative adjective. This entire block (desto + adjective) counts as Position 1. Therefore, the conjugated verb must come immediately after in Position 2, followed by the subject (inversion).

Key Rules:

  • Both adjectives must be in the comparative form (usually ending in -er; irregular ones include besser and mehr).
  • A comma is mandatory between the two clauses.
  • If comparing quantities, use mehr (more) or weniger (less) before the noun: Je mehr Geld...

Examples (4)

  1. Je schneller du rennst, desto müder wirst du.

    The faster you run, the more tired you become.

    Word by Word: The faster you run, the more-tired become you.

    Note the verb 'rennst' at the end of the first clause and 'wirst' in the second position of the second clause.

  2. Je mehr Zeit wir haben, umso besser können wir uns vorbereiten.

    The more time we have, the better we can prepare.

    Word by Word: The more time we have, the better can we ourselves prepare.

    'Umso' is used here instead of 'desto'; they are functionally identical in this pattern.

  3. Je kälter es ist, desto dicker muss die Jacke sein.

    The colder it is, the thicker the jacket must be.

    Word by Word: The colder it is, the thicker must the jacket be.

    The comparative adjectives 'kälter' and 'dicker' immediately follow the conjunctions.

  4. Je länger ich lerne, desto einfacher wird die Grammatik.

    The longer I study, the easier the grammar becomes.

    Word by Word: The longer I study, the easier becomes the grammar.

    This shows the proportional relationship between effort and result.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong word order in the second clause.

    Je mehr ich esse, desto ich dicker werde.
    Je mehr ich esse, desto dicker werde ich.

    In the second clause, the 'desto + adjective' block is Position 1. The verb must come next (Position 2), followed by the subject.

  • Forgetting to use the comparative form (-er).

    Je viel ich lerne, desto gut sind meine Noten.
    Je mehr ich lerne, desto besser sind meine Noten.

    You must use the comparative forms (mehr, besser) rather than the base forms (viel, gut).

  • Using 'als' or 'wie' instead of 'desto/umso'.

    Je schneller er fährt, als gefährlicher ist es.
    Je schneller er fährt, desto gefährlicher ist es.

    While 'als' and 'wie' are used for standard comparisons, 'je' specifically requires 'desto' or 'umso' as its partner.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

je...desto/umsoLevel 4The More...The More (Desto/umso)

Learn This First

To learn 'je...desto/umso', you must first be comfortable forming comparative adjectives (e.g., 'größer', 'besser'). Additionally, you need to understand how German handles complex sentence structures: the 'je' part follows subordinate clause rules (verb at the end), while the 'desto' part follows main clause rules with inversion (the verb comes immediately after the comparative phrase).

Words in This Pattern