The many...the more

Question

I'd like to know if a sentence like the following is grammatically correct and, if not, how it can be written.

The many friends you have, the more important you are.

Answer 1

This idiomatic construction compares two values, of which one increases or decreases proportionately with increases or decreases in the other. It therefore requires two comparative expressions:

The more beer you drink, the drunker you get.
The more friends you have, the more important you are.

A positive expression such as many cannot be employed in this construction. Perhaps you mean what can be expressed in a conditional construction:

If you drink much beer you will get drunker [implied: than if you drink only a little].
If you have many friends you will be more important [implied: than if you have only a few].

Answer 2

The correct way should be:

The more friends you have, the more important you are.

The formula is:

The + comparative + Subject + Verb, the + comparative + Subject + Verb