што ... то
The More the More
The correlative construction што ... то expresses proportional change: as the degree of a quality or action shifts in the subordinate clause, the second changes alongside it ("the [more/less] ..., the [more/less] ...").
How It Works
The correlative construction што ... то links two scales together, expressing direct or inverse proportionality between two actions, qualities, or states.
1. Structure and Clause Linkage:
• The preposed subordinate clause is introduced by што: Што више читаш, то више знаш.
• The main clause (apodosis) regularly opens with the correlative marker то, све, тим, or толико.
• Omitting the correlative marker то altogether in the second clause (the zero-correlative pattern што ... Ø) is very frequent and completely natural in both everyday speech and writing: Што дуже чекамо, теже је одлучити.
• Punctuation note: Because the dependent clause precedes the main clause, an obligatory comma separates the two parts.
2. Word Order and Clitic Placement:
• Што and то do not strictly need to be adjacent to the comparative word. Intervening clitics (such as the copula је or pronominal clitics) or subjects regularly separate them according to Wackernagel's law: Што је метал топлији, то је мекши.
• Both clauses grammatically require a comparative adjective (e.g., бољи, већи) or a comparative adverb (e.g., више, мање, пре).
3. Elliptical and Idiomatic Formulas:
• Just like in English, finite verbs are routinely omitted in fixed sayings and colloquial expressions: Што пре, то боље ("The sooner, the better").
4. Stylistic Variants and Register:
• Што ... то is the primary, universal correlative pattern used across neutral spoken and written domains.
• In formal, academic, and elevated literary registers, the correlative pair уколико ... утолико serves as a standard stylistic equivalent (note that normative grammar treats уколико as a bureaucratic cliché only when used alone in place of simple conditional ако, not when functioning in this matched correlative frame).
Examples (4)
- Што пре, то боље.
The sooner, the better.
Word by Word: What sooner, that better.
A common verbless correlative idiom using comparative adverbs.
- Што је метал топлији, то је мекши.
The warmer the metal is, the softer it is.
Word by Word: What is metal warmer, that is softer.
Adjectival copular comparison showing clitic placement after the initial conjunction.
- Што их више опомињеш, то те деца све мање слушају.
The more you warn them, the less the children listen to you.
Word by Word: What them more you-warn, that you children all less listen.
Inverse proportional comparison with adverbial comparatives and intensifying све.
- Што више радиш, то ћеш више постићи.
The harder you work, the more you will achieve.
Word by Word: What more you-work, that will-you more achieve.
Future outcome correlated with current comparative effort.
Common Mistakes
Using the base adjective/adverb instead of comparative forms.
Што много радиш, то много имаш.Што више радиш, то више имаш.Proportional clauses require comparative morphology (више) rather than positive base forms (много).
Importing unequal comparison conjunctions like него into the correlative frame.
Што више ради него што више зарађује.Што више ради, то више зарађује.Него што is used for unequal comparisons ("than"), not for proportional covariation ("the more ... the more").
Putting the subject between 'што' and the comparative.
Different MeaningШто Петар више учи, то боље разуме.Што више Петар учи, то боље разуме.Both orders are correct: 'Што Петар више учи' and 'Што више Петар учи'. The second puts the stress on 'више'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The 'што ... то' pattern forms correlative comparative sentences equivalent to 'the more..., the more...'. To learn it, learners must be comfortable forming comparative adjectives and adverbs, as well as managing the strict clitic positioning rules that apply in the paired clauses.
- Comparing Actions
Correlative proportional clauses frequently employ comparative adverbs (e.g., што више ... то боље), so knowing comparative adverbial forms is necessary.
Level 3 - Clitics After the First Constituent
Because 'што' and 'то' introduce clauses followed directly by the comparative and subsequent clitics, learning Wackernagel's law and clitic placement after the initial element is crucial for correct word order.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- уколико ... утоликоCorrelated Conditions and Degree
The formal administrative and bookish equivalent of што ... то for expressing correlated conditions and degree.
Level 6 - Comparing Things
Forms the essential comparative adjectives needed in both halves of the correlative construction.
Level 2 - све + ComparativeIncreasing Degree
Frequently appears in the main clause of што ... то constructions to signal continuous scalar change.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice што ... то in Bubblegum
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