Language/Dutch/Grammar/Comparison-of-Adjectives-and-Adverbs

Dutch Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs

As a Dutch language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to teach you about the comparison of adjectives and adverbs in Dutch. Understanding this grammar concept will allow you to describe nouns and verbs more accurately, as well as add more complexity to your sentences. Let's get started!

Comparative Forms

Comparative forms are used to compare two things, people or actions. In Dutch, adjectives and adverbs have two comparative forms:

• Comparative form 1: "meer" + [adjective/adverb]
• Comparative form 2: [adjective/adverb] + "-er" + "dan"

Let's see some examples:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
snel	snɛl	fast
sneller	'snɛlər	faster
meer snel	me:r snɛl	more fast
groot	ɣrot	big
groter	'ɣrotər	bigger
meer groot	me:r ɣrot	more big

As you can see, when using the first comparative form, we add "meer" before the adjective or adverb. For example, "meer snel" means "more fast". The second comparative form is formed by adding "-er" at the end of the adjective or adverb, followed by "dan", which means "than". For example, "snel" becomes "sneller", meaning "faster", and "sneller dan" means "faster than".

Superlative Forms

Superlative forms are used to compare three or more things, people or actions. In Dutch, adjectives and adverbs have two superlative forms:

• Superlative form 1: "meest" + [adjective/adverb]
• Superlative form 2: [adjective/adverb] + "-st" + "e"

Let's see some examples:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
snel	snɛl	fast
snelst	'snɛlst	fastest
meest snel	mest snɛl	most fast
groot	ɣrot	big
grootst	'ɣrotst	biggest
meest groot	mest ɣrot	most big

Here, you can see that the first superlative form is formed by adding "meest" before the adjective or adverb. For example, "meest snel" means "most fast". The second superlative form is formed by adding "-st" at the end of the adjective or adverb, followed by "e", which means "the". For example, "snel" becomes "snelst", meaning "fastest", and "de snelst" means "the fastest".

Irregular Forms

Like English, Dutch also has some irregular forms of comparatives and superlatives. These include:

• goed (good) → beter (better) → best (best)
• veel (much/many) → meer (more) → meest (most)
• graag (like/would like) → liever (prefer) → liefst (preferably)

Placement of Adjectives and Adverbs

In Dutch, adjectives usually come before the noun, while adverbs come after the verb. However, when using the comparative and superlative forms, the adjective or adverb comes before "meer" or "meest", and after "-er" or "-st".

For example:

• "De grotere boom" (The bigger tree), "het grootste huis" (The biggest house)
• "Meer snelheid" (More speed), "de snelste auto" (The fastest car)

Practice Exercises

Now that we have learned about comparatives and superlatives in Dutch, let's practice a little bit! Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the given adjective or adverb:

1. Dit huis is __ (klein) dan ons oude huis. 2. Marjan is __ (mooi) dan al haar vriendinnen. 3. Mijn computer is __ (snel) dan die van mijn vriend. 4. Gisteren was het __ (warm) dan vandaag. 5. Hij is __ (grappig) dan zijn broer.

Answers:

1. kleiner 2. mooier 3. sneller 4. warmer 5. grappiger

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to use comparative and superlative forms of Dutch adjectives and adverbs. Keep practicing, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Remember, learning a new language takes time and effort, but it can also be a lot of fun!

Sources

• Dutch grammar
• Comparison grammar

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Table of Contents - Dutch Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Vowels and Consonants
• Accent Marks and Stress

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural and Diminutives

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Present Tense and Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
• Order of Adjectives and Adverbs

  ---

Prepositions and Pronouns

• Prepositions of Place and Time
• Reflexive and Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family

• Family Members
• Family Life and Relationships

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Food and Drinks

• Food and Ingredients
• Drinks and Beverages

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Travel

• Means of Transport
• Travel Destinations

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Work and Jobs

• Professions and Occupations
• Job Applications and Interviews

  ---

The Netherlands

• Geography and Landmarks
• History and Traditions

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Dutch Customs

• Greetings and Etiquette
• Holidays and Celebrations

Related Lessons

• Interrogative words in Dutch
• How to use “to speak” in Dutch
• Plural and Diminutives
• Indefinite Articles in Dutch
• Vowels and Consonants
• Greetings in Dutch
• Questions
• Adjectives
• 0 to A1 Course