B1 Formal Greed

„Je mehr man hat, desto mehr will man haben."

The more one has, the more one wants.

Je mehr man hat, desto mehr will man haben. — German idiom meaning: The more one has, the more one wants. (B1)
Je mehr man hat, desto mehr will man haben. — German idiom reference | DeuTale

What does „Je mehr man hat, desto mehr will man haben." mean in German?

„Je mehr man hat, desto mehr will man haben." means "The more one has, the more one wants.." Literally: "The more one has, the more one wants to have.."

Literal Translation

"The more one has, the more one wants to have."

Je The
mehr more
man one
hat has
desto the
mehr more
will one
man wants
haben to

English Equivalent

"The more you have, the more you want."

This English idiom conveys the same meaning as the German expression.

Grammar Notes

'je...desto' comparative construction

When is this idiom used?

Formal

This expression is used in formal or literary German, often found in written texts and speeches.

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