The pattern
The comparative (the form you use to compare) is the adjective plus -er, or plus -der when the adjective ends in r. A difference takes dan; sameness takes net zo ... als or even ... als.
- Most adjectives simply add -er, even long ones: klein, kleiner; mooi, mooier; moeilijk, moeilijker.
- Adjectives ending in r add -der: duur, duurder; zwaar, zwaarder; ver, verder; lekker, lekkerder.
- The usual spelling changes apply. A double aa, ee, oo or uu becomes single when it ends a syllable: groot, groter (gro-ter). A single consonant after a short stressed vowel doubles: dik, dikker; snel, sneller. After an unstressed last syllable it does not: makkelijk, makkelijker. And f and s often become v and z: lief, liever; vies, viezer.
- After net zo or even the adjective stays plain. For a negative, use niet zo ... als.
- Before a noun, the normal adjective endings still apply: een grotere kamer, een groter huis.
- A few common words are irregular: goed, beter; veel, meer.
Examples
| Amsterdam is groter dan Utrecht. | Amsterdam is bigger than Utrecht. |
| De trein naar Leiden is sneller dan de bus. | The train to Leiden is faster than the bus. |
| Deze fiets is mooier, maar ook veel duurder. | This bike is nicer, but also much more expensive. |
| De tas van Ahmed is zwaarder dan mijn tas. | Ahmed's bag is heavier than my bag. |
| Carlos woont verder van zijn werk dan Yara. | Carlos lives further from his work than Yara. |
| Priya heeft een grotere kamer gevonden. | Priya has found a bigger room. |
| Mei is net zo oud als Bas. | Mei is just as old as Bas. |
| Bij Joris is de koffie even lekker als in een café. | At Joris's place, the coffee is just as good as in a café. |
| Utrecht is niet zo groot als Amsterdam. | Utrecht is not as big as Amsterdam. |
Why it works this way
English does this too with short words: small, smaller. The difference is that English switches to more for longer words, while Dutch usually keeps adding -er: moeilijker (more difficult), gezelliger (cosier), interessanter (more interesting). A smaller group uses meer instead, which has its own lesson.
For adjectives that do not end in r, the spelling works like adding -e, because -er also starts with a vowel and cuts the word into the same syllables: gro-te, gro-ter; dik-ke, dik-ker. So if you can spell the -e form, you can usually spell the comparative by adding an r: lieve, liever; vieze, viezer.
Think of the d after r as a little bridge between the r and the ending. Because -der starts with a consonant, the vowel stays in a closed syllable and keeps both letters: duur-der, zwaar-der.
Remember: dan and different both start with d; als and alike both start with a. A difference gets dan, things that are alike get als.
Watch out
IncorrectoAmsterdam is groter als Utrecht.
CorrectoAmsterdam is groter dan Utrecht.
after a comparative, standard Dutch uses dan; you will hear als in casual speech and it is the German habit, but avoid it
IncorrectoDeze jas is meer duur.
CorrectoDeze jas is duurder.
Dutch adds an ending where English says more
IncorrectoMijn tas is zwaarer.
CorrectoMijn tas is zwaarder.
adjectives ending in r take -der
IncorrectoOns nieuwe huis is grooter.
CorrectoOns nieuwe huis is groter.
in gro-ter the o ends a syllable, so you write one o
IncorrectoFatima is net zo oud dan Yara.
CorrectoFatima is net zo oud als Yara.
sameness takes als
Quick check
- Fill in the comparative of duur: Deze jas is ... dan die van Emma.
- Fill in the comparative of dun: Mijn nieuwe telefoon is ... dan mijn oude.
- Choose dan or als: Sanne fietst net zo snel ... Daan.
- Fix the sentence: Het is vandaag meer koud dan gisteren.
Ver las respuestas
- duurder (duur ends in r, so it takes -der)
- dunner (short stressed u plus one consonant, so the n doubles)
- als (the speeds are the same, so net zo ... als)
- Het is vandaag kouder dan gisteren. (koud just takes -er; Dutch does not use meer here)
Use it today
Supermarkets are full of comparisons waiting to happen. Next time you shop, make three sentences in your head: one with dan, one with net zo ... als and one with niet zo ... als, such as Deze appels zijn duurder dan de peren.