Four very common Dutch words change their whole shape when you compare, instead of simply adding -er and -st: _goed, beter, best_; _veel, meer, meest_; _weinig, minder, minst_; and _graag, liever, liefst_. Learn them as one set of four. You did the same with good, better, best in English, and three of these sets match English almost word for word.
The pattern
The comparative (the "more" form) and the superlative (the "most" form) of _goed_, _veel_, _weinig_ and _graag_ are irregular, so you learn them as fixed words.
- _goed, beter, best_: good or well, better, best
- _veel, meer, meest_: much or many, more, most
- _weinig, minder, minst_: little or few, less or fewer, least or fewest
- _graag, liever, liefst_: like to, prefer to, like most of all
- Before a noun, the superlative gets -e, usually with _de_ or _het_: _de beste fiets_, _het meeste werk_, _de minste moeite_. This works as in [the lesson on superlatives](#/lesson/superlatives).
- When you say how someone does something, use _het_: _Daan kookt het best._ _Het beste_ is also correct here.
- When they mean more and less, _meer_ and _minder_ get no -e before a noun: _meer brood_, _minder mensen_.
- _graag_, _liever_ and _het liefst_ usually go with a verb: _Ik fiets graag_ (I like cycling). There is [more on liking things](#/lesson/graag).
Examples
| Sanne kookt goed, maar Daan kookt nog beter. | Sanne cooks well, but Daan cooks even better. |
|---|---|
| Van alle collega's kookt Fatima het best. | Of all the colleagues, Fatima cooks best. |
| Yara heeft de beste cijfers van de klas. | Yara has the best marks in the class. |
| Ahmed werkt veel, maar Bas werkt nog meer. | Ahmed works a lot, but Bas works even more. |
| De meeste treinen rijden vandaag op tijd. | Most trains are running on time today. |
| Emma heeft weinig tijd, maar Carlos heeft nog minder. | Emma has little time, but Carlos has even less. |
| Van ons drieën heeft Priya het minst betaald. | Of the three of us, Priya paid the least. |
| Mei fietst graag naar haar werk. | Mei likes cycling to work. |
| Joris neemt liever de trein dan de bus. | Joris prefers the train to the bus. |
| Op mijn verjaardag eet ik het liefst pannenkoeken. | On my birthday, pancakes are what I like eating most. |
Why it works this way
The words people use most tend to keep old, irregular forms: they are repeated so often that nobody smooths them out. English and Dutch are close relatives and kept the same irregulars: good, better, best; much, more, most; little, less, least.
The odd one out is _graag_. Its comparative and superlative come from _lief_ (dear, sweet): what you like better is literally dearer to you. If you speak German, it works like gern, lieber, am liebsten.
Compare:
- _Ik eet graag vis._ I like eating fish.
- _Ik eet liever vis._ I would rather eat fish.
- _Ik eet het liefst vis._ Fish is my favourite thing to eat.
- _Daan is de beste._ Daan is the best one.
- _Daan kookt het best._ Daan cooks best.
One more thing: _best_ on its own often means quite or fine. _Het is best koud_ means it is quite cold, not the coldest. More in [the lesson on intensifiers](#/lesson/intensifiers).
Remember: three sets copy English, and only _graag_ needs new forms. Think of _liever_ as dearer: _Ik drink liever thee_ simply means tea is dearer to you.
Watch out
- Not: _Deze fiets is goeder dan mijn oude fiets._ Say: _Deze fiets is beter dan mijn oude fiets._ (_goed_ has no -er form)
- Not: _Ik drink graager thee._ Say: _Ik drink liever thee._ (the comparative of _graag_ is _liever_)
- Not: _Meeste mensen hier hebben een fiets._ Say: _De meeste mensen hier hebben een fiets._ (English says most people, Dutch needs _de_)
- Not: _Dit is het best restaurant van Utrecht._ Say: _Dit is het beste restaurant van Utrecht._ (before a noun, the superlative gets -e)
Quick check
- Fill in a form of _goed_: _Het weer is vandaag ... dan gisteren._
- Fill in a form of _graag_: _Ik neem ... de trein dan de auto._
- Fill in a form of _weinig_: _Op zondag rijden er ... treinen dan op maandag._
- Fill in the superlative of _veel_: _... collega's komen met de fiets naar kantoor._
Answers
- _beter_ (_goed_ has no -er form, and _dan_ needs a comparative)
- _liever_ (the comparative of _graag_)
- _minder_ (the comparative of _weinig_, for both less and fewer)
- _De meeste_ (before a plural noun, the superlative needs _de_ and -e)
Use it today
Next time a colleague offers you coffee, answer with _Nee, dank je, ik drink liever thee_ (or the other way round). Then tell them your favourite: _Ik drink het liefst warme chocolademelk._