Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre.

The more we practice, the better our skills become.

Breakdown of Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre.

• vi: we
• bli: to become
• vår: our
• øve: to practice
• jo mer: the more
• jo bedre: the better
• ferdigheten: the skill

Questions & Answers about Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre.

What does the double jo do here, and what’s the pattern?

It’s the Norwegian comparative correlative, equivalent to English the more…, the better…. Pattern:

• First half (subordinate): jo + comparative + subject + verb → jo mer vi øver
• Second half (main clause, V2): jo/desto + comparative + verb + subject → jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre

Why is the verb before the subject in the second half (jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre)?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in second position. The phrase jo bedre is fronted (position 1), so the verb blir must be in position 2, before the subject ferdighetene våre.

Why is it jo mer vi øver (subject before verb) and not jo mer øver vi?

The first half functions like a subordinate clause, so it uses subordinate word order (subject before verb): vi øver. Using V2 there (jo mer øver vi) is not standard in Bokmål.

Do I need the comma between the two halves?

Yes. You normally place a comma between the two comparative clauses:

• Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre.

Can I use desto or dess instead of the second jo?

Yes:

• Jo mer vi øver, desto bedre blir ferdighetene våre.
• Dess is more formal/literary: Dess mer vi øver, dess bedre blir ferdighetene våre. In modern Bokmål, desto is the most common alternative.

Can I drop the second jo?

Not in the parallel pattern. But you can restructure so the “jo”-clause is just an adverbial:

• Det blir bedre jo mer vi øver.

What’s the difference between mer and flere?

• mer = more of an uncountable quantity/degree or general “more”: jo mer vi øver (more practice/amount)
• flere = more of a countable number: jo flere øvelser vi gjør, jo bedre… (“the more exercises we do…”)

Why use øver and not trener or praktiserer?

• å øve = to practice/rehearse a skill (music, language, pronunciation, etc.). Best here.
• å trene = to train (often physical training, but also mental drills).
• å praktisere = to practice a profession or apply something in real life (e.g., praktisere som lege). It’s not used for “practicing a skill” in the general learner sense.

Why blir and not er?

blir expresses change/becoming. The sentence describes a dynamic result: as practice increases, the skills become better. Present tense here states a general rule.

Why is the possessive after the noun (ferdighetene våre) instead of before (våre ferdigheter)?

Both are correct, but they differ in form and feel:

• Postposed possessive (more neutral/natural): ferdighetene våre (definite noun + possessive)
• Preposed possessive (often slightly more emphatic/formal): våre ferdigheter (indefinite plural) Meaning is the same here.

Is våres acceptable?

In standard written Bokmål, use våre (plural). Våres is colloquial/regional and avoided in formal writing.

What are the forms of ferdighet?

• Singular indefinite: en ferdighet
• Singular definite: ferdigheten
• Plural indefinite: ferdigheter
• Plural definite: ferdighetene (used in the sentence) It’s a common-gender noun in Bokmål.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate East Norwegian:

• Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir ferdighetene våre.
• IPA (approx.): [juː meːr vi ˈøːvər, juː ˈbeːdrə bliːr ˈfæɖɪˌheːtənə ˈvoːrə] Tips:
• jo = “yoo”
• ø in øver ≈ French “eu” in “bleu”
• rd in ferdi… becomes a retroflex [ɖ] in many accents

How do I say the opposite (the less we practice, the worse our skills get)?

• Jo mindre vi øver, jo dårligere blir ferdighetene våre.

Can I reverse the halves?

Yes, to flip the dependency:

• Jo bedre ferdighetene våre blir, jo mer øver vi. The comma stays; word order rules still apply (V2 in the main clause half).

Is it okay to say Jo mer vi øver, jo bedre blir vi?

Yes. That’s also natural and common, meaning “we” improve. Using ferdighetene våre just makes the target of improvement explicit.

Where do I add what we’re practicing—do I need på?

• With a noun, you often use øve på: jo mer vi øver på uttalen/grammatikken…
• You can also say øve norsk/øve uttale, but øve på
  • noun is very common when focusing on a specific area.

Is the second jo the same word as jo meaning “yes (to a negative)”?

Same spelling, different functions:

• Comparative correlative: jo mer…, jo bedre…
• Contradicting/affirming jo: Han er ikke snill. – Jo, det er han. (“Yes he is.”)

Can I write this in Nynorsk?

Yes:

• Jo meir vi øver, jo betre vert ferdigheitene våre. You’ll also see dess in Nynorsk: Dess meir …, dess betre …