In Dutch, comparing two things is very similar to English. To say that something is more of a certain quality, you generally add -er to the adjective.
To link the two things you are comparing, use the word dan (than).
Regular Comparisons
For many adjectives, simply attach -er to the end of the word.
| The grass on the hill is greener than here. | Het gras op de heuvel is groener dan hier. |
| The sea is much deeper than the river. | De zee is veel dieper dan de rivier. |
| A lake is usually smaller than a sea. | Een meer is meestal kleiner dan een zee. |
Spelling Changes
Because adding -er adds a new syllable to the word, standard Dutch spelling rules apply. If a base adjective has a double vowel (like aa, ee, oo, or uu) followed by a single consonant, you must drop one of the vowels. The vowel sound remains long because it is now in an "open" syllable.
For example, hoog (high) becomes hoger.
| The mountain is higher than the hill. | De berg is hoger dan de heuvel. |
Similarly, laag (low) becomes lager, and schoon (clean) becomes schoner.
| The south is not lower than the north. | Het zuiden is niet lager dan het noorden. |
| The water in the lake is cleaner than in the river. | Het water in het meer is schoner dan in de rivier. |
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