Breakdown of Jo mere du går, des mere mærker du hældningen.
du
you
gå
to walk / to go / to go out, to fail (of power)
mere
more / anymore (with a negative)
jo
the (correlative: the more …, the more …)
des
the (used in the more... the more...)
mærke
to feel, to notice
hældningen
the slope
Questions & Answers about Jo mere du går, des mere mærker du hældningen.
Why is the word order different in the two halves of the sentence (du går vs. mærker du)?
This sentence uses the jo... des... (the more... the more...) construction. The first part starting with jo acts as a subordinate clause, so it uses standard word order (subject du plus verb går). The second part starting with des is the main clause. Because it begins with the adverbial phrase des mere, the verb and subject must invert (verb mærker plus subject du) following the V2 or verb-second rule.
Can I use jo instead of des in the second half?
Yes, it is very common in modern Danish to say jo mere... jo mere.... Using jo... des... is slightly more formal and traditional, but both are completely correct and mean the exact same thing.
Why use mærker instead of føler for the English word feel?
While both mean to feel, at mærke is typically used for concrete, physical sensations originating outside the body, like noticing a physical slope, the wind, or a bump. At føle is generally reserved for emotions or internal physical sensations like pain or hunger.
How is the word hældningen constructed?
It comes from the verb at hælde, which can mean to slope or to pour. By adding the suffix -ning, it turns into the noun en hældning meaning a slope or incline. Finally, the -en at the end is the definite article, making it hældningen meaning the slope.
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