Invariant adverbs of degree (een heel groot huis)

Adjectives Modifying Nouns

When a word describes a noun, it functions as an adjective. Dutch adjectives often take an -e ending when they come before a noun.

Here, complete describes the noun leugen (lie), so it gets the inflected -e ending.

Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

To intensify an adjective instead of describing a noun directly, you use an adverb of degree. In Dutch, adverbs never take an -e ending. They remain invariant (unchanged) in their base form.

Notice how schokkend modifies bizar, and compleet modifies onverklaarbaar. Because they act as adverbs, they do not get an -e.

Spotting the Difference

To know whether to add an -e, ask yourself what the word is modifying. Compare how totaal (total / totally) is used below.

If it describes the noun itself, it is an adjective and takes the -e:

If it describes the adjective next to it, it acts as an adverb and gets no ending:

It is a totaal lege trein (a totally empty train), not a totale lege trein. The train isn't total; its emptiness is!

Extreme News Reports

When reporting on bizarre and exaggerated news stories, you will frequently use extreme adverbs like gigantisch (gigantically) and ontzettend (incredibly).

First, see gigantisch as an adjective modifying a noun:

Now see what happens when it modifies the adjective duur (expensive):

Another common degree adverb is ontzettend. It is almost exclusively used as an uninflected adverb meaning "incredibly" or "awfully."