Breakdown of Het gras op de heuvel is groener dan hier.
zijn
to be
hier
here
op
on
groen
green
het gras
the grass
de heuvel
the hill
dan
than
Questions & Answers about Het gras op de heuvel is groener dan hier.
How is the comparative word groener formed from groen?
Why is dan used here, and not als?
The word dan means 'than' and is the standard word used after a comparative adjective like groener to show a difference. You use als ('as') when comparing things that are equal, like in even groen als (as green as). Note: you might hear native speakers say groener als in casual speech, but groener dan is the grammatically correct written form.
Why doesn't the adjective groener get an -e at the end here?
Adjectives only get an extra -e when they are placed directly before the noun they describe (for example, het groenere gras). Because groener is placed later in the sentence after the verb is, it keeps its base comparative form without the extra -e.
Why do we use the preposition op with de heuvel?
Just like in English, Dutch uses op (on) for elevated physical locations. You are standing 'on' the hill, so it is op de heuvel.
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