Breakdown of Ju hårdare konkurrensen är, desto lönsammare är idén.
vara
to be
idén
the idea
hård
hard
ju
as you know / of course
desto
the (in proportional comparisons)
konkurrensen
the competition (rivalry)
lönsam
profitable
Questions & Answers about Ju hårdare konkurrensen är, desto lönsammare är idén.
Why is the word order different after ju compared to desto?
The ju part acts like a subordinate clause, so the subject comes before the verb (konkurrensen är). The desto part is the main clause. Because the phrase desto lönsammare takes up the first position in that clause, the verb must come second (är idén), following the standard V2 (verb-second) rule.
Could I use dess instead of desto here?
Yes, absolutely! You can say ju hårdare konkurrensen är, dess lönsammare är idén. Both desto and dess mean exactly the same thing in this structure and are interchangeable in the second half of the sentence.
How is the word lönsammare formed?
It is the comparative form of the adjective lönsam (profitable). In Swedish, you typically add the ending -are to an adjective to mean more of it, similar to adding -er in English. So lönsammare means more profitable.
Why are konkurrensen and idén in the definite form?
Just like the English translation uses 'the' competition and 'the' idea, Swedish uses the definite forms to talk about a specific situation. The suffix -en is added to konkurrens, and -n is added to idé to make them definite.
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