The more... the more... (ne kadar ... o kadar)

The More... The More... (Ne kadar ... o kadar)

To express that two things change proportionally—like "the more you buy, the cheaper it gets"—Turkish uses the pair ne kadar and o kadar.

The first clause uses ne kadar (how much) and ends with a verb in the conditional form. The second clause uses o kadar (that much) to show the proportional result.

The more the quantity increases, the more affordable the goods become.
Miktar ne kadar artarsa, mallar o kadar hesaplı olur.

Proportions with Adjectives

When the condition is a state of being (like "the more authentic it is"), attach the conditional suffix -(y)sa / -(y)se directly to the adjective.

The more authentic an item is, the more expensive it becomes.
Bir mal ne kadar otantikse, o kadar pahalı olur.

Negotiating and Bargaining

This structure is common when bargaining at the bazaar. The conditional suffix is often added to the aorist tense (like isterse or artarsa) to express general truths.

The more mastery the craftsmanship requires, the more authentic the carpet looks.
İşçilik ne kadar ustalık isterse, halı o kadar otantik görünür.
The better the mastery is, the more the price of the goods increases.
Ustalık ne kadar iyiyse, malın bedeli o kadar artar.

Making the Deal

You can also use standard if/then conditional statements to present an offer and close a deal.

If you pay in cash, we agree on an affordable price and shake hands.
Peşin ödersen, hesaplı bir fiyatta anlaşır ve tokalaşırız.

When negotiating, ne kadar ... o kadar is perfect for discussing persistence or desire.

The more you insist on the price of the goods you like, the later you shake hands.
Beğendiğin malın fiyatında ne kadar diretirsen, o kadar geç tokalaşırsınız.

Combine this pattern with question words like neyi (what specific thing) to express "the more you want a specific thing."

The more you want a specific thing, the more the seller insists on the price.
Neyi ne kadar çok istersen, satıcı fiyatta o kadar diretir.