o to viac, že

All the More Because

Level 6

O to + a comparative + že means all the more ... because: Teší ma to o to viac, že to nikto nečakal (I'm all the more pleased because nobody expected it). The že clause gives the reason for the extra degree.

How It Works

Form. The phrase has three parts: o to, a comparative, and a clause with že: o to viac, že ..., o to horšie, že ..., o to opatrnejší, že .... A comma goes before že. The comparative is formed as usual (comparing adjectives) and agrees with its noun: Jeho víťazstvo je o to cennejšie.

Why o to? O with the accusative expresses a difference in amount, as in o dva roky starší (two years older). To points ahead to the reason, so o to viac means more by that much, the amount that the že clause explains.

As an added remark. The phrase can follow a full sentence after a comma: Mrzí ma to, o to viac, že sme sa tak tešili (I'm sorry, all the more so because we were so looking forward to it). Tým viac, že is an equivalent.

A related pair. O čo ..., o to ... means the more ..., the more ...: O čo viac sa učil, o to lepšie výsledky mal. This is the same as čím ... tým.

Examples (6)

  1. Teší ma to o to viac, že to nikto nečakal.

    I'm all the more pleased because nobody expected it.

    Word by Word: Pleases me it by that more, that it nobody didn't-expect.

  2. Jeho víťazstvo je o to cennejšie, že hral so zranením.

    His win is all the more valuable because he played injured.

    Word by Word: His victory is by that more-valuable, that he-played with injury.

  3. Bolo to o to horšie, že nám nikto nepovedal pravdu.

    It was all the worse because nobody told us the truth.

    Word by Word: It-was it by that worse, that us nobody didn't-tell truth.

  4. Musíme byť o to opatrnejší, že cesta je zľadovatená.

    We have to be all the more careful because the road is icy.

    Word by Word: We-must be by that more-careful, that road is iced.

  5. Mrzí ma to, o to viac, že sme sa tak tešili.

    I'm sorry about it, all the more so because we were looking forward to it so much.

    Word by Word: Upsets me it, by that more, that we-have ourselves so looked-forward.

  6. O čo viac sa učil, o to lepšie výsledky mal.

    The more he studied, the better his results were.

    Word by Word: By what more himself he-studied, by that better results he-had.

    The paired form o čo ..., o to ... means the more ..., the more ....

Common Mistakes

  • Using the basic form instead of a comparative.

    Teší ma to o to veľa, že to nikto nečakal.
    Teší ma to o to viac, že to nikto nečakal.

    O to measures a difference, so it needs a comparative: viac, not veľa.

  • Putting to in the locative.

    Teší ma to o tom viac, že to nikto nečakal.
    Teší ma to o to viac, že to nikto nečakal.

    Here o takes the accusative of difference, so the form is o to. O tom (about it) is a different phrase.

  • Translating all the more word for word.

    Teší ma to všetko viac, že to nikto nečakal.
    Teší ma to o to viac, že to nikto nečakal.

    English all the more is not built with všetko in Slovak. Use o to viac or tým viac.

How It Connects

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

o to viac, žeLevel 6All the More Because

Learn This First

Before All the More Because, learn By How Much: o and Saying That: že. o to viac uses o + accusative for the size of a difference. The reason is given in a že clause.

Words in This Pattern

o