Breakdown of Jo lavere månedsprisen er, desto lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet.
Questions & Answers about Jo lavere månedsprisen er, desto lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet.
What does the pattern jo ... desto ... mean?
It is the Danish way to express the idea the ... the ... in English.
So:
- Jo lavere månedsprisen er, desto lettere er det ...
- = The lower the monthly price is, the easier it is ...
This pattern shows a relationship between two changes:
- one thing changes
- and another thing changes as a result
A few similar examples:
Jo mere du øver, desto bedre bliver du.
= The more you practise, the better you become.Jo før, desto bedre.
= The sooner, the better.
Why are lavere and lettere used here?
They are comparative forms of adjectives.
- lav = low
lavere = lower
- let = easy / light
- lettere = easier / lighter
In a jo ... desto ... sentence, Danish normally uses the comparative, because the whole structure is about comparison:
- jo lavere ... = the lower ...
- desto lettere ... = the easier ...
So the sentence is not just describing the price as low and the choice as easy. It is saying:
- if the price becomes lower
- then choosing becomes easier
Why is it lettere from let? Why does the spelling change?
This is just how the comparative is formed from let.
- let → lettere
- lettest = easiest
The extra t is part of the normal spelling pattern here. Danish often changes spelling slightly when endings are added.
Also remember that let can mean both:
- easy
- light
In this sentence, lettere clearly means easier, not lighter.
Why is månedsprisen written as one word?
Because Danish makes compound nouns very freely, much more than English does.
So:
- måned = month
- pris = price
- månedspris = monthly price
Then with the definite ending:
- månedsprisen = the monthly price
This is extremely normal in Danish. English often writes these as two words, but Danish usually joins them into one.
Other examples:
- mobiltelefon
- bilnøgle
- arbejdsdag
So månedsprisen is not unusual at all.
Why does månedsprisen end in -en?
The ending -en is the definite article attached to the noun.
- en månedspris = a monthly price
- månedsprisen = the monthly price
Danish often puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.
Here, månedsprisen suggests a specific monthly price, probably the one connected to the mobile company or plan being discussed.
Why is the first part Jo lavere månedsprisen er and not Jo lavere er månedsprisen?
Because in this construction, the jo-part usually behaves like a subordinate clause, so the word order is not normal main-clause inversion.
Compare:
Normal main clause:
- Månedsprisen er lavere.
If you front an element in a normal main clause, Danish usually has verb-second word order:
- I dag er månedsprisen lavere.
But in the jo-clause, Danish normally keeps:
- jo lavere månedsprisen er
So the order is:
- jo lavere = fronted comparative phrase
- månedsprisen = subject
- er = verb
That is why månedsprisen er sounds right here.
Why is the second part desto lettere er det with er before det?
Because the desto-clause usually behaves like a main clause, and Danish main clauses follow verb-second word order.
Here the fronted element is:
- desto lettere
After that, the finite verb comes second:
- er
Then the subject:
- det
So the structure is:
- desto lettere
- er
- det
- er
This is completely normal Danish main-clause order.
What is det doing in desto lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet?
Here det is a dummy subject or anticipatory subject.
The real idea is the infinitive phrase:
- at vælge mobilselskabet = to choose the mobile company
But Danish often uses det first and places the infinitive later:
- Det er let at vælge ...
- = It is easy to choose ...
So:
- desto lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet
- literally: the easier is it to choose the mobile company
This works like English it in sentences such as:
- It is easy to understand.
- It is hard to choose.
The det does not refer to a thing; it is just filling the subject position.
Why is there no end after lavere or lettere?
Because this is not the ordinary kind of comparison.
Normally, Danish uses end for direct comparison:
- Prisen er lavere end før.
- = The price is lower than before.
But in the jo ... desto ... pattern, Danish does not use end.
Instead, the two comparative parts are linked to each other:
- jo lavere ..., desto lettere ...
So this is a different structure from X is lower than Y.
Can desto be replaced by jo?
Often, yes. Danish very commonly uses both patterns:
- jo ..., desto ...
- jo ..., jo ...
For example:
- Jo lavere månedsprisen er, jo lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet.
This means the same thing.
Very generally:
- jo ... desto ... can sound a bit more formal or written
- jo ... jo ... is very common and natural, especially in everyday speech
Both are useful to recognize.
Why is it at vælge and not a finite verb form?
Because after det er let/svært/nemt ..., Danish normally uses an infinitive with at.
So:
- Det er let at vælge.
- = It is easy to choose.
In your sentence:
- desto lettere er det at vælge mobilselskabet
The phrase at vælge mobilselskabet functions as the action that is easy.
This is very similar to English:
- It is easy to choose the company.
Why is it mobilselskabet and not et mobilselskab?
Mobilselskabet is the definite form:
- et mobilselskab = a mobile company / a mobile provider
- mobilselskabet = the mobile company / the mobile provider
Using the definite form suggests a specific company, or the company being discussed in context.
If the meaning were more general, Danish might also use:
- at vælge et mobilselskab
- = to choose a mobile company / provider
So the definite form here is probably context-driven. Without context, both could be possible, but they mean slightly different things.
Is this sentence a very common and natural type of Danish sentence?
Yes. The structure is very common, even if this exact sentence is a bit formal or written in style.
The important pattern is extremely useful:
- Jo mere ..., desto/jo mere ...
- Jo bedre ..., desto/jo bedre ...
- Jo længere ..., desto/jo længere ...
A learner will hear and read this kind of structure often, especially in:
- explanations
- advertisements
- formal writing
- advice
- general statements
So it is worth learning well.
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