desto means “the” | MotiTan German Dictionary

More examples

Je öfter du sprichst, desto sicherer wirst du.

The more often you speak, the more confident you become.

Two connected sliders show a matching increase or decrease, so movement at one end produces a measured change at the other end.

je öfter, desto sicherer
the more often, the more confident
je schwieriger, desto größer die Herausforderung
the more difficult, the greater the challenge

je: Introduces a condition whose changing degree affects the result.
umso: Signals that another degree changes along with the first.

Dient zur Kennzeichnung einer proportionalen Steigerung in Vergleichen, typischerweise in der Struktur 'je ... desto ...'.

Desto is an inherited German comparative particle from Middle High German forms such as deste and desto.

English the in the pattern the sooner, the better corresponds to German desto or umso, not to the ordinary German definite article.