Ju mer vi pratar svenska, desto gladare blir jag.

The more we speak Swedish, the happier I become.

Breakdown of Ju mer vi pratar svenska, desto gladare blir jag.

• jag: I
• svenska: Swedish
• vi: we
• prata: to speak
• bli: to become
• ju mer: the more
• desto gladare: the happier

Questions & Answers about Ju mer vi pratar svenska, desto gladare blir jag.

What is the ju … desto … construction and how is this sentence structured?

It’s a correlative comparative: “the X-er…, the Y-er…”. The pattern is:

• First clause: Ju + comparative + clause → Ju mer vi pratar svenska
• Comma
• Second clause: desto + comparative + (finite verb) + subject (+ rest) → desto gladare blir jag Both halves should contain comparatives (like mer, fler, mindre, or an adjective with -are).

Why is there a comma after the first clause?

Because the ju-clause functions as an initial adverbial clause. In Swedish, you normally separate it from the following main clause with a comma: Ju mer vi pratar svenska, desto gladare blir jag.

Why is it blir jag and not jag blir?

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. In the second half, desto gladare is fronted, so the verb blir comes next, followed by the subject: desto gladare blir jag. Saying desto gladare jag blir would break V2.

Why is it vi pratar, not pratar vi, in the first half?

The first half is a subordinate-like clause introduced by the ju-comparative, so it uses subordinate word order: Subject–(sentence adverbs)–Verb. Hence vi pratar, not pratar vi.

Why mer here and not fler?

Use:

• mer for uncountable quantities and degrees (more speaking, more time, more water) and before adjectives/adverbs.
• fler for countable plural items (more people, more words). Speaking “more” here is about degree/frequency, so mer is correct.

Can I use mera instead of mer?

Yes. mera is a variant of mer. mer is more common in standard contemporary Swedish; mera can sound regional, traditional, or casual depending on context. Both are accepted: Ju mer/mera vi pratar svenska, desto gladare blir jag.

Why gladare and not mer glad?

Most one-syllable adjectives form the comparative with -are. glad → gladare is the natural form. Use mer + adjective for many longer adjectives (e.g., mer intressant) or when no -are form exists.

Why svenska and not svenskan? And why isn’t it capitalized?

• Language names in Swedish aren’t capitalized: svenska, engelska.
• When you mean “to speak Swedish,” you use the bare mass noun: pratar svenska.
• svenskan (definite) means “the Swedish language” as a concept, e.g., Svenskan har många vokaler. You don’t say pratar svenskan.

Is pratar the only option, or can I use talar/snackar?

• pratar: neutral, everyday, very common.
• talar: a bit more formal or careful, perfectly fine: talar svenska.
• snackar: colloquial/informal: snackar svenska.

Could I say Ju mer svenska vi pratar instead of Ju mer vi pratar svenska?

Yes, both are grammatical:

• Ju mer vi pratar svenska (neutral focus on the activity).
• Ju mer svenska vi pratar (slight emphasis on the language itself). The meaning is the same; the second version mildly topicalizes the object.

Can I use är instead of blir?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

• blir highlights change as the “more” condition increases (dynamic: “I get/become happier”).
• är states a correlation in state (static: “I am happier”). Both are idiomatic: … desto gladare blir/är jag.

Can I swap the halves: Desto gladare …, ju mer …?

No. The conventional order is ju …, desto …. Don’t reverse them. Also, keep the pair together; you normally shouldn’t drop desto in standard usage.

Where do I put inte or other adverbs?

• In the ju-clause (subordinate-like), sentence adverbs go after the subject: Ju mer vi faktiskt pratar svenska, …. Avoid Ju mer vi inte pratar …; say Ju mindre vi pratar svenska … instead.
• In the desto-clause (main clause with inversion), sentence adverbs come after the finite verb: … desto gladare blir jag faktiskt. For negation, prefer a matching comparative: … desto mindre glad blir jag, rather than … desto gladare blir jag inte.

Does desto always require a comparative?

Yes. Use a comparative form after desto: an adjective with -are (desto gladare, desto svårare), an adverb with -are (desto hellre), or mer/mindre + adjective/adverb (desto mer intressant, desto mindre ofta).

Can I use other words than mer/gladare in this pattern?

Absolutely:

• Ju längre vi väntar, desto svårare blir det.
• Ju oftare vi övar, desto bättre låter det.
• Ju färre misstag vi gör, desto lugnare blir jag.

How formal is this construction?

Neutral and very common in both speech and writing. It’s neither slangy nor stiff.

Should I say pratar svenska or pratar på svenska?

For “speak Swedish,” the idiomatic choice is pratar/talar svenska (no preposition). på svenska means “in Swedish” and is common with verbs like skriva, svara, översätta (e.g., skriva på svenska). talar på svenska exists but feels more explicit; pratar på svenska is possible but less idiomatic than pratar svenska.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

Approximate pronunciations:

• ju [jʉː]
• mer [meːr]
• pratar [ˈprɑːtar]
• svenska [ˈsvɛn.ska]
• desto [ˈdɛs.tʊ]
• gladare [ˈɡlɑː.da.rɛ]
• blir [bliːr]
• jag often [jɑː] (many speakers drop the final -g)