How to use the conjunction "je...desto" in German
"Je...desto" is how German expresses "the more... the more" — and while the meaning is simple, the double word-order flip trips up even confident B1 learners. Here's the grammar behind it, the sentence structure you need to memorize, and enough examples to make it feel natural.
What Does "Je...Desto" Mean?
Je...desto is a two-part (correlative) conjunction used to link two comparatives, similar to "the more... the more" or "the more... the less" in English: Je mehr du übst, desto besser wirst du. (The more you practice, the better you'll get.) Both halves of the sentence need a comparative adjective or adverb — that's non-negotiable.
The Sentence Structure for "Je...Desto"
This is where most learners go wrong, because each half of the sentence follows a different word order. The je-clause is a subordinate clause, so its conjugated verb goes to the end: je mehr du ĂĽbst... The desto-clause, on the other hand, is a main clause that starts with the comparative, so the verb comes right after desto + comparative, in second position: ...desto besser wirst du. Getting the verb position right in each half is the whole trick.
"Je Desto" vs. "Je Umso"
German also lets you swap desto for umso in the second half of the sentence — the meaning and word order stay exactly the same, it's purely a stylistic choice: Je mehr du übst, umso besser wirst du. Both versions are completely correct and commonly used; pick whichever sounds more natural to you.
Example Sentences
Je älter ich werde, desto weiser werde ich. (The older I get, the wiser I become.)
Je mehr Geld du verdienst, desto mehr Steuern zahlst du. (The more money you earn, the more taxes you pay.)
Je frĂĽher wir losfahren, desto weniger Verkehr haben wir. (The earlier we leave, the less traffic we'll have.)
Bonus Tip: Watch Out for Separable Verbs and Modal Verbs
When a modal verb or a separable verb shows up in the je-clause, the same subordinate-clause rule still applies — the conjugated (modal or separable) verb still moves to the very end of that clause: Je mehr Zeit du investierst, desto schneller wirst du Fortschritte machen. In the desto-clause, keep an eye out for the same verb-second rule you'd use in any normal main clause, even when there's a modal verb + infinitive pair involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "je...desto" mean in German?
It's a correlative conjunction meaning "the more... the more" (or "the more... the less"), used to link two comparative ideas together.
What's the word order in a "je...desto" sentence?
The je-clause is subordinate, so its conjugated verb goes to the end; the desto-clause is a main clause, so its verb comes right after "desto + comparative" in second position.
What's the difference between "je...desto" and "je...umso"?
There's no difference in meaning or word order — "umso" is simply an alternative to "desto" in the second half of the sentence, and both are equally correct.
Does each half of the sentence need a comparative?
Yes, both the je-clause and the desto-clause need a comparative adjective or adverb (like "mehr," "besser," or "schneller") for the construction to work.
What happens when there's a modal verb in a "je" sentence?
The same subordinate-clause rule applies — the modal verb still moves to the very end of the je-clause, with the infinitive right in front of it.
Structures like je...desto get plenty of guided repetition in our B1 German Course, until the double word-order flip feels automatic.
