Comparative and superlative of Dutch adjectives
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HideDefinition and usage of the comparative and superlative of Dutch adjectives
'De trappen van vergelijking' (the steps of comparison) are used to turn the adjective into a comparative or into a superlative. The comparative and superlative are formed by adding suffixes to the adjective.
| Situation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| To turn an adjective into a comparative. |
|
|
| To turn an adjective into a superlative. |
|
|
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1) Forming the comparative of Dutch adjectives
The Dutch comparative compares the characteristics of two objects with each other that are not equal. These are formed by adding the suffix '-er' or '-ere'.
- Een vreemder huis. (A weirder house.)
- De schonere lucht. (The more clean air.)
Note that a vowel disappeared in 'schonere' that is derrived form 'schoon' (clean). This has to do with a change in the syllables, because the stress is now somewhere else in the word.
If the adjective ends in '-r', '-der' or '-dere' will be added: Het raardere meisje. (The weirder girl.)
2) Forming the superlative of Dutch adjectives
The Dutch superlative compares an object with other objects which surpasses everything. These are formed by adding the suffix '-st' or '-ste'. The definite articles 'de' or 'het' are always before the superlative.
- Het vreemdste huis. (The weirdest house.)
- De schoonste lucht. (The cleanest air.)
Dutch irregular comparatives
The Dutch language has some adjectives that don't follow the regular rules when forming the comparative and superlative. The following table shows a list of Dutch adjectives that are irregular:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goed (good) | Beter (better) | Best (best) | Jan is beter in tennis dan Henk. | Jan is better at tennis than Henk. |
| Graag (gladly) | Liever (rather) | Liefst (preferably) | Zij eten het liefst vis. | They prefer to eat fish. |
| Veel (much) | Meer (more) | Meest (most) | Hij eet het meest. | He eats the most. |
| Weinig (little) | Minder (less) | Minst (least) | Jij hebt minder les dan ik. | You got less class than me. |
In Dutch you can also use 'meer' (more) or 'meest' (most) to form the comparative, but is not used as frequently as in English. It is only used for long words, that are hard to pronounce in another form or to emphasize something:
- Hij is het meest fantastisch van hen allemaal. (He is the most fantastic of all of them.)
- Zij heeft de meest praktische aanpak. (She has the most practical approach.)
Train your skills by doing the exercises below.
Exercises
Exercise Dutch comparative
Tip: The Dutch comparative compares the characteristics of two objects with each other that are not equal. These are formed by adding the suffix '-er' or '-ere'.
In Noorwegen is er een lucht dan in China. (schoon) - In Norway there is a less poluted air than in China.
Rusland is dan Nederland. (groot) - Russia is bigger than the Netherlands.
Hij vindt zichzelf dan anderen. (belangrijk) - He believes he is more important than other people.
In de zomer is het dan in de winter. (warm) - In the summer it is warmer than in the winter.
Ik voel me vandaag dan gister. (slecht) - Today I feel worse than yesterday.
Nederlands leren is dan wij dachten. (moeilijk) - Learning Dutch is more difficult than we thought.
Zij is dan hem. (klein) - She is smaller than him.
Het gras is dan vorig jaar. (groen) - The grass is greener than last year.
Zij kunnen voetballen dan wij. (goed)- They can play soccer better than we can.
Ik ben niet veel dan jij. (slim) - I am not much smarter than you are.
Exercise Dutch superlative
Tip: The Dutch superlative compares an object with other objects which surpasses everything. These are formed by adding the suffix '-st' or '-ste'. The definite articles 'de' or 'het' are always before the superlative.
Zij is de van haar vriendinnen. (lang) - She is the tallest of her friends.
Hij is de in wiskunde. (goed) - He is the best at mathematics.
Wij kochten de banaan die we konden vinden. (klein) - We bought the smallest banana we could find.
Januari is de maand van het jaar in Nederland. (koud) - January is the coldest month of the year in the Netherlands.
Dit is een van de diersoorten op aarde. (gevaarlijk) - This is one of the most dangerous animals in the world.
Hij kocht de ring voor haar. (duur) - He bought the most expensive ring for her.
Wie is de persoon op aarde? (gelukkig) - Who is the happiest person on earth?
Marco Borsato is een van de zangers in mijn land. (bekend) - Marco Borsato is one of the most famous singers in my country.
Dit is de taart die ik ooit heb gezien. (groot) - This is the biggest cake I have ever seen.
Hij pakte het plakje kaas van het bord. (dun) - He took the thinnest slice of cheese off the plate.
Exercises
Exercise Dutch comparative
Tip: The Dutch comparative compares the characteristics of two objects with each other that are not equal. These are formed by adding the suffix '-er' or '-ere'.
In Noorwegen is er een lucht dan in China. (schoon) - In Norway there is a less poluted air than in China.
Rusland is dan Nederland. (groot) - Russia is bigger than the Netherlands.
Hij vindt zichzelf dan anderen. (belangrijk) - He believes he is more important than other people.
In de zomer is het dan in de winter. (warm) - In the summer it is warmer than in the winter.
Ik voel me vandaag dan gister. (slecht) - Today I feel worse than yesterday.
Nederlands leren is dan wij dachten. (moeilijk) - Learning Dutch is more difficult than we thought.
Zij is dan hem. (klein) - She is smaller than him.
Het gras is dan vorig jaar. (groen) - The grass is greener than last year.
Zij kunnen voetballen dan wij. (goed)- They can play soccer better than we can.
Ik ben niet veel dan jij. (slim) - I am not much smarter than you are.
Exercise Dutch superlative
Tip: The Dutch superlative compares an object with other objects which surpasses everything. These are formed by adding the suffix '-st' or '-ste'. The definite articles 'de' or 'het' are always before the superlative.
Zij is de van haar vriendinnen. (lang) - She is the tallest of her friends.
Hij is de in wiskunde. (goed) - He is the best at mathematics.
Wij kochten de banaan die we konden vinden. (klein) - We bought the smallest banana we could find.
Januari is de maand van het jaar in Nederland. (koud) - January is the coldest month of the year in the Netherlands.
Dit is een van de diersoorten op aarde. (gevaarlijk) - This is one of the most dangerous animals in the world.
Hij kocht de ring voor haar. (duur) - He bought the most expensive ring for her.
Wie is de persoon op aarde? (gelukkig) - Who is the happiest person on earth?
Marco Borsato is een van de zangers in mijn land. (bekend) - Marco Borsato is one of the most famous singers in my country.
Dit is de taart die ik ooit heb gezien. (groot) - This is the biggest cake I have ever seen.
Hij pakte het plakje kaas van het bord. (dun) - He took the thinnest slice of cheese off the plate.
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