Breakdown of Чем чаще ты повторяешь, тем лучше запоминаешь.
лучше
better
ты
you
чем … тем
the ... the
чаще
more often
Questions & Answers about Чем чаще ты повторяешь, тем лучше запоминаешь.
How does the чем … тем … construction work?
It’s a correlative comparative that expresses proportional change: “the X‑er … the Y‑er.” The pattern is: Чем + comparative phrase, тем + comparative phrase. Both halves must be parallel and use comparatives (often adverbs or adjectives). Here: Чем чаще …, тем лучше ….
Why is there a comma?
Because you’re joining two correlated clauses. Standard punctuation puts a comma between them: Чем …, тем …. (A semicolon appears only in very long clauses; a comma is the norm.)
Why is ты omitted in the second clause?
Russian often drops repeated subjects when they’re obvious from context. The second ты is understood from the first clause. You can include it for emphasis without changing the meaning: … тем лучше ты запоминаешь.
Can I use formal/plural вы instead of ты?
Yes. Conjugate the verbs accordingly:
- Чем чаще вы повторяете, тем лучше (вы) запоминаете. You can keep or omit вы in the second clause.
Why use запоминать and not помнить?