Questions & Answers about Je älter der Mann ist, desto geduldiger wird er.
Why is the verb at the end in the first half, but right after the adjective in the second half?
The je part is a subordinate clause, which pushes its verb (ist) to the very end. The desto part is a main clause. Since the phrase desto geduldiger fills the first position of this clause, the verb (wird) must take the second position, immediately followed by the subject (er).
Could I use umso instead of desto in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. In German, desto and umso are completely interchangeable in this grammar structure. You could write ... umso geduldiger wird er and it would mean exactly the same thing.
Why does älter have an umlaut but geduldiger does not?
To form a comparative, German adds -er to the adjective. For many short, one-syllable adjectives like alt (old), you also have to add an umlaut, making it älter. Longer adjectives like geduldig (patient) just take the -er ending without an umlaut to become geduldiger.
Why does the second part use wird instead of ist?