Breakdown of Jupiter er meget større end de andre planeter i solsystemet.
være
to be
i
in
de
the (plural, before adjective)
meget
very; much, a lot
Questions & Answers about Jupiter er meget større end de andre planeter i solsystemet.
Why do we use meget here, since it usually translates to 'very'?
While meget often translates to 'very' before a standard adjective (like meget stor for 'very big'), it also translates to 'much' when placed before a comparative adjective. In Danish, meget større is the standard way to say 'much bigger'.
How would the meaning change if I used langt or endnu instead of meget?
These are other common degree modifiers taught in this lesson. If you used langt større, it would mean 'far bigger' or 'way bigger'. If you used endnu større, it would mean 'even bigger', which implies you are comparing Jupiter to another planet that is already considered big.
Is større an irregular comparative form?
Yes. The basic adjective is stor (big). Instead of just adding a standard comparative ending, the vowel changes from 'o' to 'ø' and the consonant doubles, making it større (bigger). For reference, the superlative form is størst (biggest).
Why does the sentence use de andre planeter instead of attaching a definite ending to the noun?
In Danish, when a definite noun is described by an adjective (here, andre), you must drop the noun's definite suffix. Instead, you place the separate plural definite article de before the adjective and leave the noun in its basic plural form. That is why it is de andre planeter and not andre planeterne.