Breakdown of De même que l'eau est vitale, de même le sommeil est essentiel.
être
to be
l'eau
the water
le sommeil
the sleep / the sleepiness
essentiel
essential
vital
vital
de même que
just as
Questions & Answers about De même que l'eau est vitale, de même le sommeil est essentiel.
Why is de même used twice in this sentence?
The structure de même que... de même... is an elegant way to draw a strong parallel, translating to "Just as... so too..." or "Just as... similarly...". The first part (de même que) is a conjunction introducing the comparison, while the second (de même) acts as an adverb to reinforce the parallel in the main clause.
Since de même que ends in que, shouldn't it be followed by the subjunctive?
No, it takes the indicative mood, which is why we use est here. Although many que phrases trigger the subjunctive, de même que establishes a parallel between two objective realities or facts (water is vital, sleep is essential). Because it states a fact rather than a doubt or subjective emotion, the indicative is required.
Could I replace de même que with comme to mean "just as"?
Yes, but it changes the tone. Saying Comme l'eau est vitale... works perfectly fine for everyday speech, but the de même que... de même... pairing belongs to a higher, more formal register. It is a rhetorical device used in essays, speeches, or literature to make a comparison sound profound and perfectly balanced.
Why do we use two different adjectives (vitale and essentiel) instead of just repeating one?
Using synonyms avoids repetition and makes the sentence more elegant, which fits the formal tone of this grammatical structure. Also, remember your gender agreements: vitale is feminine to agree with l'eau, while essentiel is masculine to agree with le sommeil (its feminine form would be essentielle).
Learn De même que l'eau est vitale, de même le sommeil est essentiel and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free