Breakdown of Hoe meer vierkante meters het heeft, des te blijer is de koper.
zijn
to be
blij
happy
hebben
to have
het
it
hoe
how
meer
more
de meter
the meter
des te
the (proportion)
de koper
the buyer
vierkant
square
Questions & Answers about Hoe meer vierkante meters het heeft, des te blijer is de koper.
Why does the verb heeft go at the very end of the first half of the sentence?
The word hoe acts like a subordinating conjunction here, which pushes the conjugated verb to the end of the clause. That is why heeft comes last, similar to how clauses starting with omdat or dat work.
Why is the verb is placed before the subject de koper in the second half?
The phrase des te blijer takes up the first position in this main clause. Because Dutch follows the verb-second rule in main clauses, the verb is must come immediately after it. This pushes the subject de koper to the third position, a word order change known as inversion.
Is it possible to use hoe in both halves of the sentence instead of hoe ... des te?
Yes! In everyday speech, it is very common to hear hoe ..., hoe .... You could absolutely say Hoe meer vierkante meters het heeft, hoe blijer is de koper and it would sound completely natural.
Dutch usually uses singular nouns for units of measurement. Why is it plural meters here?
When a measurement follows an exact number like tien or honderd, it normally stays singular. However, because meer (more) is an indefinite amount rather than a specific number, the plural form meters is used instead.
Why doesn't the comparative adjective blijer get an extra -e at the end?
The adjective blijer (happier) does not stand directly in front of the noun it modifies. Instead, it acts as a predicate adjective describing de koper later in the sentence. Predicate adjectives do not get an added -e.
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