Breakdown of Im wolniej czytam, tym więcej rozumiem.
rozumieć
to understand
czytać
to read
więcej
more
im
the (more - first part)
tym
the (more - second part)
wolniej
slower
Questions & Answers about Im wolniej czytam, tym więcej rozumiem.
How does the "im ..., tym ..." structure work in this sentence?
It translates to the English "The..., the..." structure used for proportional comparisons. The word im starts the condition clause, and tym starts the result clause. Notice that both words must be immediately followed by a comparative form, like wolniej and więcej.
Why do we use the adverb "wolniej" here instead of the adjective "wolniejszy"?
Because it describes the verb czytam (how you read). You must use the comparative adverb wolniej (more slowly). In English we often use the adjective form ("the slower I read"), but Polish strictly requires the adverb when modifying a verb.
What is the base word for the comparative "więcej"?
Więcej (more) is the comparative form of dużo (a lot / much). Just like in English, both halves of an im..., tym... sentence must contain a comparative word.
Can I flip the sentence and start with "tym"?
No, in Polish the condition clause starting with im must always come first. You cannot swap the halves like you sometimes can in English.
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