---
title: "Hoe meer, hoe beter"
level: B2
chapter: "Word order"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/the-more-the-better
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Hoe meer, hoe beter

To say "the more ..., the better ..." in Dutch, start both halves with _hoe_ plus a comparative and put the verb at the end of each half: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ In slightly more formal Dutch, the second half can start with _des te_, and then the verb comes straight after the comparative: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter word je._

You need this whenever two things move together: the later you book, the more you pay; the harder the headwind, the slower you get home. It turns up in advice from your GP, in the news and in emails from _de gemeente_.

## The pattern

> Each half starts with _hoe_ plus a comparative (the -er form, like _groter_, bigger) and sends its verb to the end. If the second half starts with _des te_ instead, its verb comes right after the comparative.

- First half: _hoe_ + comparative + subject + rest + verb: _hoe later je boekt_
- Second half with _hoe_: the same order: _hoe duurder het wordt_
- Second half with _des te_: comparative, verb, subject: _des te duurder wordt het_
- A noun that belongs to the comparative stays glued to it: _hoe meer mensen_, _hoe minder suiker_
- A comma separates the two halves.
- In short sayings the verbs often disappear: _hoe groter, hoe beter_

If the -er forms still feel shaky, revisit [comparatives](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/comparatives) and [goed, beter, best](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/irregular-comparison).

## Examples

| **Hoe meer** je **oefent**, **hoe beter** je **wordt**. | The more you practise, the better you get. |
| **Hoe later** je **boekt**, **hoe duurder** de vlucht meestal **wordt**. | The later you book, the more expensive the flight usually gets. |
| **Hoe harder** het **waait**, **hoe langzamer** ik naar huis **fiets**. | The harder the wind blows, the slower I cycle home. |
| **Hoe minder** suiker Daan **eet**, **hoe beter** hij **slaapt**. | The less sugar Daan eats, the better he sleeps. |
| **Hoe meer mensen** er **komen**, **hoe gezelliger** het **wordt**. | The more people come, the more fun it gets. |
| **Hoe langer** Priya in Utrecht **woont**, **des te beter begrijpt** ze de Nederlandse humor. | The longer Priya lives in Utrecht, the better she understands Dutch humour. |
| **Hoe sneller** u het formulier **terugstuurt**, **des te eerder kunnen** wij uw aanvraag behandelen. | The sooner you return the form, the sooner we can process your application. |
| Wanneer wil je het rapport hebben? **Hoe eerder, hoe beter.** | When do you want the report? The sooner, the better. |
| Neem je zus gerust mee: **hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd**! | Feel free to bring your sister: the more the merrier! |

## Why it works this way

The first half is a subordinate clause: a side clause that leans on the other half and cannot stand alone. _Hoe_ opens it the way _omdat_ or _als_ would, so the verb goes to the end, just as in _Weet jij hoe laat de trein vertrekt?_ (see [subordinate clauses](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/subordinate-clauses)). The second _hoe_ simply mirrors the first: same word, same order.

_Des te_ behaves like _daarom_ from the previous lesson. _Des te_ plus its comparative fills the first place of a main clause, so the verb follows at once and the subject comes after it: _des te beter word je_ is built exactly like _daarom word je beter_. The first half keeps its verb at the end either way.

_Hoe ... hoe_ is the everyday choice. _Des te_ sounds a little more formal and is common in news, reports and work emails. On its own, _Des te beter!_ means "all the better". If you speak German, the word order is the same as with "je ... desto".

_Hoe eerder, hoe beter_ (the sooner, the better) is a fixed phrase that works as a complete reply. Likewise, _hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd_ is the Dutch "the more the merrier"; keep _vreugd_ without a final -e in this saying.

Remember: _hoe_ sends the verb to the back of the clause, _des te_ pulls it forward, right behind the comparative.

## Watch out

- Not: _De meer je oefent, de beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ (English "the" becomes _hoe_ here)
- Not: _Hoe meer oefen je, hoe beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt._ (the first half is a subordinate clause, so the verb goes to the end)
- Not: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter je wordt._ Say: _Hoe meer je oefent, des te beter word je._ (after _des te_ plus comparative, the verb comes next)
- Not: _Hoe later je boekt, hoe meer duur de vlucht wordt._ Say: _Hoe later je boekt, hoe duurder de vlucht wordt._ (_duur_ simply takes -er)

## Quick check

1. Fill in the comparative of _goed_: _Hoe vaker je fietst, hoe ... je conditie wordt._
2. Fix the sentence: _Hoe langer duurt de vergadering, hoe minder ik onthoud._
3. Choose: _Hoe drukker het op de snelweg is, des te later (Joris thuiskomt / komt Joris thuis)._
4. Fill in _hoe_ or _des te_: _Hoe meer Yara verdient, ... meer ze uitgeeft._

## Answers

1. _beter_ (the comparative of _goed_ is irregular)
2. _Hoe langer de vergadering duurt, hoe minder ik onthoud._ (the first half sends the verb to the end)
3. _komt Joris thuis_ (after _des te_ the verb follows the comparative, and _thuiskomen_ splits in a main clause)
4. _hoe_ (the verb _uitgeeft_ is at the end; with _des te_ it would be _geeft ze uit_)

## Use it today

Next time you cycle against the wind or queue at the supermarket, make up two sentences about it: one with _hoe ... hoe_ and one with _des te_, such as _Hoe harder het regent, hoe natter ik word_. And when you ask a colleague for something, add _hoe eerder, hoe beter_.

## Questions learners ask

**How do you say "the more the better" in Dutch?**

Say "hoe meer, hoe beter". In a full sentence, put hoe plus a comparative at the start of both halves and the verb at the end of each: Hoe meer je oefent, hoe beter je wordt.

**What is the difference between hoe and des te in Dutch?**

Both can start the second half of the sentence. After hoe the verb goes to the end (hoe beter je wordt), while after des te the verb comes straight after the comparative (des te beter word je), which sounds a little more formal.

**What does "hoe eerder, hoe beter" mean?**

It means "the sooner, the better". It is a fixed phrase that works as a complete reply, for example when you tell someone when you need something.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.