B1-32 · Link two changes with je … desto
Energy
Say that one thing changes as another changes, with examples about renewable energy and saving power at home.
About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions
01
The more sun, the more power
Use je … desto to say that two things change together. Both halves need a comparative: Je mehr Sonne scheint, desto mehr Strom gibt es. These examples are about renewable energy in an invented village.
Je mehr Sonne scheint, desto mehr Strom produziert die Solaranlage.
The more the sun shines, the more electricity the solar installation produces.
Je besser das Haus gedämmt ist, desto weniger Energie braucht man.
The better the house is insulated, the less energy you need.
Je stärker der Wind weht, desto mehr Strom liefern die Windräder.
The stronger the wind blows, the more electricity the wind turbines supply.
Je mehr erneuerbare Energie wir nutzen, desto sauberer wird die Luft.
The more renewable energy we use, the cleaner the air becomes.
Erneuerbare Energie means renewable energy, die Solaranlage a solar installation and die Windräder wind turbines. Mehr is the comparative of viel; do not say je viel or desto viel.
02
Word order in both halves
The je part works like a subordinate clause: its verb goes to the end. The desto part starts with desto and the comparative (with any noun that belongs to it), and the verb comes straight after that. These lines give tips for saving energy at home.
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| je part: verb at the end | je länger die Heizung läuft |
| desto part: verb before the subject | desto höher ist die Rechnung |
Je länger die Heizung läuft, desto höher ist die Rechnung.
The longer the heating runs, the higher the bill is.
Je kürzer du duschst, desto mehr Wasser und Energie sparst du.
The shorter your shower, the more water and energy you save.
Je älter der Kühlschrank ist, desto mehr Strom verbraucht er.
The older the fridge is, the more electricity it uses.
Je früher wir das Licht ausschalten, desto weniger zahlen wir.
The earlier we switch off the light, the less we pay.
Separable verbs join up again at the end of the je part: wir schalten das Licht aus becomes je früher wir das Licht ausschalten. Die Heizung is the heating and die Rechnung the bill.
03
Irregular comparatives
Some common comparatives are irregular or change their spelling, and they appear often with je … desto. Learn them as pairs. In this conversation, Lena and Jonas talk about their energy use.
| Meaning | Adjective | Comparative |
|---|---|---|
| much | viel | mehr |
| little | wenig | weniger |
| good | gut | besser |
| high | hoch | höher |
| often | oft | öfter |
| expensive | teuer | teurer |
Je niedriger die Temperatur im Schlafzimmer ist, desto besser schlafe ich.
The lower the temperature in the bedroom, the better I sleep.
Je öfter wir mit dem Rad fahren, desto weniger Benzin brauchen wir.
The more often we cycle, the less petrol we need.
Je mehr Geräte im Stand-by-Modus sind, desto höher ist der Stromverbrauch.
The more devices are on standby, the higher the electricity consumption is.
Je teurer der Strom wird, desto mehr Leute sparen Energie.
The more expensive electricity becomes, the more people save energy.
Instead of desto you can also say umso: je teurer der Strom wird, umso mehr Leute sparen Energie. Der Stromverbrauch means electricity consumption; im Stand-by-Modus means on standby.
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