Breakdown of Mijn broer is even knap als mijn vader.
zijn
to be
de broer
the brother
mijn
my
de vader
the father
even
equally / as
knap
handsome / pretty
als
as (like / conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Mijn broer is even knap als mijn vader.
How does the comparison even ... als work here?
The phrase even ... als is used to say two things are equal, just like "as ... as" in English. Here, even knap als means "as handsome as". You simply put the adjective right between the two words.
Could I use net zo ... als instead of even ... als in this sentence?
Yes! Mijn broer is net zo knap als mijn vader means exactly the same thing. Both even ... als and net zo ... als are very common and interchangeable ways to make equality comparisons in Dutch.
Could I use dan instead of als here?
No, when you are saying things are equal, you must always use als. You only use dan (than) for unequal comparisons, like when using an adjective with an -er ending (for example, knapper dan meaning "more handsome than").
I've seen the word knap used differently. Doesn't it mean "smart"?
knap can actually mean both! It means "handsome" or "good-looking" when talking about appearance, but it is also commonly used to mean "smart" or "clever". You have to rely on context to know which one is meant, and in this sentence, both translations could technically work.
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