To say "the more ..., the better ..." in Dutch, start both halves with _hoe_ plus a comparative and put the verb at the end of each half: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ In slightly more formal Dutch, the second half can start with _des te_, and then the verb comes straight after the comparative: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter word je._
You need this whenever two things move together: the later you book, the more you pay; the harder the headwind, the slower you get home. It turns up in advice from your GP, in the news and in emails from _de gemeente_.
The pattern
Each half starts with _hoe_ plus a comparative (the -er form, like _groter_, bigger) and sends its verb to the end. If the second half starts with _des te_ instead, its verb comes right after the comparative.
- First half: _hoe_ + comparative + subject + rest + verb: _hoe later je boekt_
- Second half with _hoe_: the same order: _hoe duurder het wordt_
- Second half with _des te_: comparative, verb, subject: _des te duurder wordt het_
- A noun that belongs to the comparative stays glued to it: _hoe meer mensen_, _hoe minder suiker_
- A comma separates the two halves.
- In short sayings the verbs often disappear: _hoe groter, hoe beter_
If the -er forms still feel shaky, revisit [comparatives](#/lesson/comparatives) and [goed, beter, best](#/lesson/irregular-comparison).
Examples
| Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt. | The more you practise, the better you get. |
|---|---|
| Hoe later je boekt, hoe duurder de vlucht meestal wordt. | The later you book, the more expensive the flight usually gets. |
| Hoe harder het waait, hoe langzamer ik naar huis fiets. | The harder the wind blows, the slower I cycle home. |
| Hoe minder suiker Daan eet, hoe beter hij slaapt. | The less sugar Daan eats, the better he sleeps. |
| Hoe meer mensen er komen, hoe gezelliger het wordt. | The more people come, the more fun it gets. |
| Hoe langer Priya in Utrecht woont, des te beter begrijpt ze de Nederlandse humor. | The longer Priya lives in Utrecht, the better she understands Dutch humour. |
| Hoe sneller u het formulier terugstuurt, des te eerder kunnen wij uw aanvraag behandelen. | The sooner you return the form, the sooner we can process your application. |
| Wanneer wil je het rapport hebben? Hoe eerder, hoe beter. | When do you want the report? The sooner, the better. |
| Neem je zus gerust mee: hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd! | Feel free to bring your sister: the more the merrier! |
Why it works this way
The first half is a subordinate clause: a side clause that leans on the other half and cannot stand alone. _Hoe_ opens it the way _omdat_ or _als_ would, so the verb goes to the end, just as in _Weet jij hoe laat de trein vertrekt?_ (see [subordinate clauses](#/lesson/subordinate-clauses)). The second _hoe_ simply mirrors the first: same word, same order.
_Des te_ behaves like _daarom_ from the previous lesson. _Des te_ plus its comparative fills the first place of a main clause, so the verb follows at once and the subject comes after it: _des te beter word je_ is built exactly like _daarom word je beter_. The first half keeps its verb at the end either way.
_Hoe ... hoe_ is the everyday choice. _Des te_ sounds a little more formal and is common in news, reports and work emails. On its own, _Des te beter!_ means "all the better". If you speak German, the word order is the same as with "je ... desto".
_Hoe eerder, hoe beter_ (the sooner, the better) is a fixed phrase that works as a complete reply. Likewise, _hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd_ is the Dutch "the more the merrier"; keep _vreugd_ without a final -e in this saying.
Remember: _hoe_ sends the verb to the back of the clause, _des te_ pulls it forward, right behind the comparative.
Watch out
- Not: _De meer je oefent, de beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ (English "the" becomes _hoe_ here)
- Not: _Hoe meer oefen je, hoe beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ (the first half is a subordinate clause, so the verb goes to the end)
- Not: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter word je._ (after _des te_ plus comparative, the verb comes next)
- Not: _Hoe later je boekt, hoe meer duur de vlucht wordt._ Say: _Hoe later je boekt, hoe duurder de vlucht wordt._ (_duur_ simply takes -er)
Quick check
- Fill in the comparative of _goed_: _Hoe vaker je fietst, hoe ... je conditie wordt._
- Fix the sentence: _Hoe langer duurt de vergadering, hoe minder ik onthoud._
- Choose: _Hoe drukker het op de snelweg is, des te later (Joris thuiskomt / komt Joris thuis)._
- Fill in _hoe_ or _des te_: _Hoe meer Yara verdient, ... meer ze uitgeeft._
Answers
- _beter_ (the comparative of _goed_ is irregular)
- _Hoe langer de vergadering duurt, hoe minder ik onthoud._ (the first half sends the verb to the end)
- _komt Joris thuis_ (after _des te_ the verb follows the comparative, and _thuiskomen_ splits in a main clause)
- _hoe_ (the verb _uitgeeft_ is at the end; with _des te_ it would be _geeft ze uit_)
Use it today
Next time you cycle against the wind or queue at the supermarket, make up two sentences about it: one with _hoe ... hoe_ and one with _des te_, such as _Hoe harder het regent, hoe natter ik word_. And when you ask a colleague for something, add _hoe eerder, hoe beter_.