Most Dutch adjectives build their comparative (the "more" form) and superlative (the "most" form) with endings, even long ones: _sneller_, _snelst_, _interessanter_. You use the separate words _meer_ (more) and _meest_ (most) mainly with past participles used as adjectives (_het meest gelezen boek_) and when you compare two qualities of one person or thing (_meer bang dan boos_); some longer adjectives also allow _meest_, often for emphasis. When in doubt, the endings are the safe choice.
The pattern
Ordinary adjectives normally take -er and -st. Past participles used as adjectives usually take _meer_ and _meest_, and you also use _meer_ to compare two qualities of the same person or thing.
- Ordinary adjectives, including most long ones: _duur, duurder, het duurst_ and _moeilijk, moeilijker, het moeilijkst_.
- Past participles, the verb form in _ik heb gelezen_: _nog meer verrast_, _het meest gelezen boek_.
- Some words that look like participles now behave as ordinary adjectives and take the endings: _bekender_, _beroemdste_, _ingewikkelder_.
- Some longer adjectives allow both forms in the superlative: _de interessantste_ or _de meest interessante lezing_, _de geschiktste_ or _de meest geschikte kandidaat_. In the comparative, -er is the usual choice.
- Two qualities, one person: _Joris is meer bang dan boos._ You will also hear _eerder bang dan boos_, with the same meaning.
- The adjective after _meer_ or _meest_ follows the usual -e rules, and _meest_ itself stays _meest_: _de meest gestelde vraag_.
For the endings themselves, see [Comparatives](#/lesson/comparatives) and [Superlatives](#/lesson/superlatives). For participles before a noun, see [Past participles as adjectives](#/lesson/participle-as-adjective).
Examples
| Dat is het meest gelezen boek van dit jaar. | That is the most widely read book of the year. |
|---|---|
| Ik ben nog meer verrast dan jij, want ik wist er niets van. | I am even more surprised than you, because I knew nothing about it. |
| Wat is de meest gestelde vraag aan de balie van de gemeente? | What is the most frequently asked question at the municipality's front desk? |
| Van alle collega's was Bas het meest verbaasd over het nieuws. | Of all the colleagues, Bas was the most surprised by the news. |
| Na de vakantie voelt Daan zich veel meer ontspannen. | After the holiday Daan feels much more relaxed. |
| Volgens het team is Priya de meest geschikte kandidaat. | According to the team, Priya is the most suitable candidate. |
| De lezing van Mei was interessanter dan ik had verwacht. | Mei's talk was more interesting than I had expected. |
| Lotte zegt weinig op verjaardagen, maar ze is meer verlegen dan onvriendelijk. | Lotte says little at birthday parties, but she is shy rather than unfriendly. |
| Ahmed was meer verdrietig dan boos toen zijn fiets gestolen was. | Ahmed was more sad than angry when his bike was stolen. |
Why it works this way
Think of -er and -st as endings you glue onto a plain quality word such as _druk_, _duur_ or _leuk_. A past participle is different: it still feels like part of a verb, the result of something that happened. Dutch tends to leave that verb form alone and puts the degree in a separate word in front, just as it does with the verb itself: _Dit boek wordt het meest gelezen_ (This book is read the most).
The _meer ... dan_ pattern is logical too. In _Lotte is meer verlegen dan onvriendelijk_ you are not comparing Lotte with someone else. You are choosing which word fits her better, so _meer_ means something like "rather". Standard Dutch does not use the -er ending for that job.
Your first language can trick you here. English says "more difficult" and "more interesting", and Spanish uses "más" with almost every adjective, but Dutch normally says _moeilijker_ and _interessanter_. German speakers face the opposite trap: German often puts the ending on a participle ("überraschter"), while Dutch normally says _meer verrast_.
Speakers also choose _meest_ for emphasis, because a separate word can carry stress: _het meest absurde plan_ can sound stronger than _het absurdste plan_. Both are correct. You hear this mostly with longer adjectives. With short everyday ones like _snel_ or _duur_, the ending is the normal choice: _de snelste route_.
Remember: if you can picture an action behind the word (someone read the book, something surprised you), reach for _meer_ or _meest_. If it is simply a quality, like _druk_, _duur_ or _moeilijk_, use the endings, unless you are weighing two qualities against each other.
Watch out
- Not: _Deze cursus is meer moeilijk dan de vorige._ Say: _Deze cursus is moeilijker dan de vorige._ (_moeilijk_ is an ordinary adjective, so it takes -er)
- Not: _De trein is meer sneller dan de bus._ Say: _De trein is sneller dan de bus._ (use -er or _meer_, not both)
- Not: _Het is het gelezenste boek van dit jaar._ Say: _Het is het meest gelezen boek van dit jaar._ (_gelezen_ is a past participle, so it takes _meest_, not -ste)
- Not: _Dat is de meeste gestelde vraag._ Say: _Dat is de meest gestelde vraag._ (_meest_ gets no -e before an adjective)
- Not: _Joris is banger dan boos._ Say: _Joris is meer bang dan boos._ (two qualities of one person: use _meer_, not -er)
Quick check
- Choose: _Dat is het (gelezenste / meest gelezen) boek van onze leesclub._
- Fix the sentence: _Mijn nieuwe baan is meer leuk dan mijn oude._
- Fill in the Dutch word for "more": _Yara was ... verrast dan haar broer, want zij wist van niets._
- Choose: _Na het gesprek met de verhuurder is Fatima (bozer / meer boos) dan verdrietig._
Answers
- _meest gelezen_: _gelezen_ is a past participle.
- _Mijn nieuwe baan is leuker dan mijn oude._ _Leuk_ is an ordinary adjective, so it takes -er.
- _meer_: _verrast_ is a past participle, so the degree goes in front.
- _meer boos_: you compare two feelings of the same person.
Use it today
Tonight, describe your day in three Dutch sentences: one with _het meest_ plus a participle (_Ik was het meest verrast door ..._), one weighing two of your own feelings (_Ik ben meer ... dan ..._), and one with an ordinary adjective plus -er. Say them out loud to a partner, a colleague or your cat.