Comparing things is a fundamental part of any language — saying something is bigger, smaller, better or the best. Dutch comparatives and superlatives follow clear, regular patterns that are very similar to English. Once you know the basic rules and a handful of irregular forms, you can compare anything in Dutch!
Dutch comparatives and superlatives are actually simpler than English in one way — Dutch never uses "more" and "most" as separate words (like English does with "more beautiful", "most interesting"). Everything is expressed with endings: -er (comparative) and -st (superlative).
📊 The Three Degrees
| Degree | Dutch ending | Example (groot = big) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | — | groot | big |
| Comparative | -er | groter | bigger |
| Superlative | -(e)st | grootst / het grootst | biggest |
📐 Forming the Comparative: Adding -er
Simply add -er to the base form of the adjective. The same spelling rules that apply to plurals and adjective endings apply here too:
| Base | Comparative | English | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| groot | groter | bigger | regular |
| klein | kleiner | smaller | regular |
| snel | sneller | faster | double l (short vowel) |
| oud | ouder | older | regular |
| mooi | mooier | more beautiful | add -er after vowel |
| lief | liever | sweeter / nicer | f → v |
| duur | duurder | more expensive | double r? No — duurder is irregular in form |
| lang | langer | longer / taller | regular |
| kort | korter | shorter | regular |
| warm | warmer | warmer | regular |
| koud | kouder | colder | regular |
| zwaar | zwaarder | heavier | regular |
📐 Forming the Superlative: Adding -(e)st
Add -st to the base form. Add -est when the adjective already ends in -s or -sch (to avoid unpronounceable clusters).
| Base | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|
| groot | grootst | biggest |
| klein | kleinst | smallest |
| snel | snelst | fastest |
| oud | oudst | oldest |
| mooi | mooist | most beautiful |
| lief | liefst | sweetest |
| lang | langst | longest / tallest |
| grijs | grijzest | greyest (ends in s → -est) |
📐 Using the Superlative: het + superlative + e
The superlative can be used in two ways:
- Predicatively (after zijn): use het + superlative (no -e):
Dit huis is het grootst. (This house is the biggest.) - Attributively (before a noun): use superlative + -e with article:
het grootste huis (the biggest house)
de mooiste vrouw (the most beautiful woman)
⚠️ Irregular Comparatives & Superlatives
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| goed | beter | best | good / better / best |
| veel | meer | meest | many/much / more / most |
| weinig | minder | minst | little/few / less/fewer / least |
| graag | liever | liefst | gladly / rather / most preferably |
🔀 Making Comparisons: Dan & Als
| Construction | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ... dan ... | comparing unequal things (comparative) | Hij is groter dan zij. (He is taller than her.) |
| even ... als ... | comparing equal things (as ... as) | Zij is even groot als hij. (She is as tall as him.) |
| niet zo ... als ... | not as ... as | Dit is niet zo duur als dat. (This is not as expensive as that.) |
✏️ Practice
- Comparative of klein → kleiner
- Superlative of mooi (attributive, before de-word) → de mooiste
- Irregular comparative of goed → beter
- He is taller than her → Hij is groter dan zij
- She is as old as him → Zij is even oud als hij
🔗 Continue Learning
- 👉 Adjective Endings — superlatives also take -e endings
- 👉 De vs Het — needed for correct superlative form
- 👉 Pronouns — used in comparisons (groter dan hij)
🎯 Ready to Test Your Dutch?
Put everything you've learned to the test — find out your level at dutchenglish.com/test
Take the Free Level Test →
Instagram and
TikTok!
🎯 Test Your Dutch Level!
Put your knowledge to the test with our free Dutch quiz covering vocabulary, grammar and more. Find out your level now!
🏆 Take the Dutch Level Test →