kuo ..., tuo ...
The More ..., The More ...
To say the more ..., the more ..., start the first part with kuo and the second with tuo, each followed by a comparative: Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai. (The more you read, the more you know.)
How It Works
The pattern
Kuo + comparative ..., tuo + comparative ...
- Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai. (The more you read, the more you know.)
- Kuo anksčiau išvažiuosime, tuo greičiau būsime namie. (The earlier we leave, the sooner we will be home.)
Adjectives agree
A comparative adjective agrees with the noun it describes: Kuo didesnis miestas, tuo brangesni butai. (The bigger the city, the more expensive the apartments.) Here didesnis is masculine singular for miestas, and brangesni is masculine plural for butai. See Comparative Adjectives.
Short sayings
The verbs can be left out: Kuo daugiau, tuo geriau. (The more, the better.) Kuo greičiau, tuo geriau. (The sooner, the better.)
The comma
Put a comma before tuo, because the kuo part is a subordinate clause. See Commas Before Subordinate Clauses. Writers sometimes put the tuo part first; the comma then comes before kuo.
A literary variant
Older and literary texts also use juo ..., juo ... with the same meaning. See Literary Juo ..., Juo ....
Examples (6)
- Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai.
The more you read, the more you know.
Word by Word: By-what more you-read, by-that more you-know.
- Kuo anksčiau išvažiuosime, tuo greičiau būsime namie.
The earlier we leave, the sooner we will be home.
Word by Word: By-what earlier we-will-leave, by-that sooner we-will-be at-home.
- Kuo didesnis miestas, tuo brangesni butai.
The bigger the city, the more expensive the apartments.
Word by Word: By-what bigger city, by-that more-expensive apartments.
Each adjective agrees with its own noun.
- Kuo ilgiau laukiau, tuo labiau nerimavau.
The longer I waited, the more worried I got.
Word by Word: By-what longer I-waited, by-that more I-worried.
- Kuo mažiau kalbi, tuo mažiau klysti.
The less you talk, the fewer mistakes you make.
Word by Word: By-what less you-talk, by-that less you-err.
- Kuo daugiau, tuo geriau.
The more, the better.
Word by Word: By-what more, by-that better.
Common Mistakes
Using basic forms instead of comparatives.
Kuo daug skaitai, tuo daug žinai.Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai.Both halves compare amounts, so both need the comparative daugiau.
Starting both halves with tuo.
Tuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai.Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai.The part that sets the condition starts with kuo, and the result starts with tuo.
Leaving out the comma between the two parts.
Kuo daugiau skaitai tuo daugiau žinai.Kuo daugiau skaitai, tuo daugiau žinai.The kuo part is a subordinate clause, so a comma must come before tuo.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Kuo ..., tuo ... links two changing degrees.
Related Patterns
- Comparative -esnisComparative Adjectives
Both halves can use comparative adjectives such as didesnis and brangesni.
Level 3 - kuo + comparativeAs ... as Possible with Kuo
Kuo with a single comparative means as ... as possible.
Level 4 - vis + comparativeMore and More with Vis
Vis with a comparative describes one change that keeps growing.
Level 4 - juo ..., juo ...Literary Juo ..., Juo ...
A literary pattern with the same meaning.
Level 6 - Commas Before Subordinate Clauses
Explains the comma before tuo.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice kuo ..., tuo ... in Bubblegum
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