Dutch comparative and superlative adjectives: cheaper and cheapest forms
Form Dutch adjectives such as goedkoper (cheaper) and goedkoopst (cheapest). Learn the spelling changes and the forms used before a noun and after a verb.
Deze jas is goedkoper dan die jas. (This coat is cheaper than that coat.) Dit is de goedkoopste jas. (This is the cheapest coat.) The comparative compares two people or things. The superlative marks the highest degree in a group.
How do you form the regular comparison?
Klein → kleiner → kleinst (small → smaller → smallest). Most adjectives that can express more or less of a quality take -er for the comparative and -st for the superlative.
| Base adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| klein (small) | kleiner | kleinst |
| snel (fast) | sneller | snelst |
| mooi (beautiful) | mooier | mooist |
| duur (expensive) | duurder | duurst |
| groot (big) | groter | grootst |
Duur → duurder → duurst (expensive → more expensive → most expensive). After a final -r, the comparative normally uses -der: zwaar → zwaarder (heavy → heavier) and donker → donkerder (dark → darker). The superlative still takes -st: zwaarst and donkerst.
Only adjectives that can vary by degree take these forms. A material adjective such as houten (wooden) has no ordinary comparative or superlative.
How does the form change before or after a noun?
Een grotere auto (a bigger car) has an extra -e, but een groter huis (a bigger house) does not. Auto takes de (the), while huis takes het (the). A comparative before a noun follows the normal adjective -e rule.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative before a de-word | comparative + -e | een grotere auto (a bigger car) |
| Comparative before an indefinite singular het-word | comparative without -e | een groter huis (a bigger house) |
| Superlative with a definite article before a noun | the noun's de/het + -ste | de snelste trein; het mooiste huis (the fastest train; the most beautiful house) |
| Superlative describing the subject | het + -st | De trein is het snelst. (The train is the fastest.) |
Deze route is het snelst. (This route is the fastest.) When the superlative describes the subject after a verb such as is, use het + -st. An extra -e also occurs in informal Dutch. The neutral written pattern here is het snelst.
Which spelling changes happen before -er and -st?
Groot → groter → grootst (big → bigger → biggest). The comparison endings follow the ordinary Dutch spelling rules for vowels and consonants.
| Base adjective | Comparative | Superlative | Spelling change |
|---|---|---|---|
| groot (big) | groter | grootst | The long vowel uses one letter in the open syllable gro-, but two in the closed form grootst. |
| dik (thick) | dikker | dikst | The doubled k keeps the vowel short before -er. |
| lief (sweet, kind) | liever | liefst | Final f returns to v before the vowel in -er. |
| vies (dirty) | viezer | viest | Final s returns to z before -er; s and -st share one s in viest. |
The changes in groter and dikker follow the open- and closed-syllable rule.
The changes in liever and viezer follow the f/v and s/z rule.
When do you use meer (more) and meest (most)?
Logisch → logischer → het meest logisch (logical → more logical → most logical). Dutch uses meer (more) and meest (most) when a form with -er or -st is uncommon or hard to pronounce.
| Adjective type | Comparative | Superlative | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final unstressed -e: oranje (orange) | oranjer; also meer oranje | het meest oranje | Add only -r when you use the ending; meer is also common. |
| Final -isch: typisch (typical) | typischer | het meest typisch | The comparative is regular; the superlative normally uses meest. |
| Already ends in -st: juist (correct) | juister | het meest juist | The comparative is regular; the separate superlative avoids a difficult consonant cluster. |
De meest typische fout (the most typical mistake) puts the noun's de or het before meest and gives the adjective its normal -e ending.
Dutch has no fixed English-style syllable cutoff. Long adjectives can still take endings: gemakkelijk → gemakkelijker → gemakkelijkst (easy → easier → easiest). Longer adjectives and adjectives made from verbs show variation, so treat meer/meest as a word-specific pattern rather than a length rule.
Which comparison rules are covered separately?
Goed → beter → best (good → better → best) is irregular, so it does not use -er and -st. Learn the main exceptions in irregular comparison.
The word after a comparative follows a separate rule: Deze kamer is groter dan die. (This room is bigger than that one.) See dan or als in comparisons.
- What is the comparative of *duur* (expensive)?
- duurer
- duurder
- duurst
- meer duur
A final *-r* normally takes *-der* in the comparative: *duur → duurder*.
- Fill the gap: *Dit is de ___ berg van Nederland.* (This is the highest mountain in the Netherlands.)
- hooger
- hoogste
- hoogst
- meest hoog
The superlative before the noun takes *-ste*: *de hoogste berg* (the highest mountain).
- Why does *groot* become *groter* with one *o*, while *grootst* keeps *oo*?
- Because *-st* is irregular
- Because *-er* opens the syllable (single vowel), while *-st* keeps it closed (double vowel)
- Because *groter* is a spelling mistake
- Because the plural changes it
The long *o* uses one letter in the open syllable *gro-* and two letters in the closed form *grootst*.
- Which adjective normally uses *meest* rather than *-st* in the superlative?
- klein (small)
- snel (fast)
- typisch (typical)
- warm (warm)
Adjectives ending in *-isch* normally use *meest* in the superlative: *typisch → typischer → het meest typisch*. The other three adjectives take *-st*.
- Which sentence uses the standard superlative pattern after *is*?
- Deze auto is snelst dan die.
- Deze auto is het snelst.
- Deze auto is de snelst.
- Deze auto is meest snel.
After *is*, use *het* + *-st*: *Deze auto is het snelst.* (This car is the fastest.)
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
What is the comparative of duur (expensive)?