Breakdown of Je besser der Schliff, desto teurer ist jener Diamant.
sein
to be
gut
good / well
teuer
expensive
je
the (in proportional comparisons)
desto
the (second part of proportional comparisons)
jener
that (m)
der Diamant
the diamond
der Schliff
the cut
Questions & Answers about Je besser der Schliff, desto teurer ist jener Diamant.
Why use jener Diamant here instead of der Diamant or dieser Diamant?
jener (that) is a demonstrative pronoun used to point out a specific thing that is further away from the speaker in space, time, or thought, contrasting directly with dieser (this). Because Diamant is a masculine noun and the subject of the sentence (nominative case), it takes the -er ending. It also adds a slightly more formal or literary tone compared to just saying der Diamant.
Where is the verb in the first half of the sentence (Je besser der Schliff)?
The verb ist has been left out! Just like in English, it is completely natural and common in German to drop the verb in the je clause if it is a simple form of sein (to be). You could absolutely write Je besser der Schliff ist, but leaving the verb out sounds punchier and more elegant.
Why does the verb ist come right after desto teurer in the second half?
In a je ..., desto ... (the..., the...) sentence, the desto half always acts as the main clause. The phrase desto teurer occupies the first grammatical position, so the conjugated verb ist must take its strict second position. This pushes the subject, jener Diamant, to the other side of the verb.
Is the noun Schliff related to a verb?
Yes, der Schliff (the cut or polish) is derived from the verb schleifen (to grind, cut, or polish). Recognizing this typical vowel change from ei in a strong verb to i in its related noun is a great way to decode new vocabulary at the B2 level.
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