Dutch comparatives and superlatives follow a pattern so close to English you can often guess them right.
Comparative: add -er
For most adjectives, the comparative is the base adjective + _-er_. The result behaves like any other adjective, so the -e rule still applies.
| klein | small | kleiner | smaller
| groot | big | groter | bigger
| mooi | beautiful | mooier | more beautiful
| lief | sweet | liever | sweeter
| snel | fast | sneller | faster
Than = _dan_
To compare two things, use _dan_:
- _mijn huis is groter dan jouw huis_, my house is bigger than your house
- _de kat loopt sneller dan de hond_, the cat walks faster than the dog
Superlative: add -st(e)
Add _-st_ for the base superlative. Before a noun it almost always takes the definite article _de_ / _het_ and adds -e.
| klein | small | kleinst | het kleinste huis, the smallest house
| groot | big | grootst | de grootste hond, the biggest dog
| mooi | beautiful | mooist | het mooiste boek, the most beautiful book
Predicative superlative uses _het_
After a linking verb, the superlative takes _het_ regardless of the noun's gender:
- _die auto is het snelst_, that car is the fastest
- _deze soep is het lekkerst_, this soup is the tastiest
Irregulars worth memorising
Like English _good / better / best_, Dutch has a tiny set of irregulars. Learn these five; you will meet them daily.
| goed | good | beter | better | best | best
| veel | much | meer | more | meest | most
| weinig | little | minder | less | minst | least
| graag | gladly | liever | rather | liefst | most gladly
| oud | old | ouder | older | oudst | oldest
More and most with long adjectives
When an adjective gets long or ends in awkward sounds, Dutch sometimes prefers _meer_ and _meest_ instead of forcing _-er_ / _-st_ onto it.
- _meer geïnteresseerd_, more interested
- _het meest verrassende moment_, the most surprising moment
Use this for adjectives that feel heavy; shorter ones (_groot_, _lief_, _mooi_) always take the -er/-st ending.