Breakdown of Hij is meer enthousiast dan ik.
ik
I
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
meer
more
Questions & Answers about Hij is meer enthousiast dan ik.
Why does this sentence use meer enthousiast instead of adding -er to make enthousiaster?
In Dutch, you usually form the comparative by adding -er (like groot to groter). However, for long adjectives, especially those ending in a consonant cluster like -st, adding -er can make them hard to pronounce. To avoid the tongue twister, Dutch speakers often use meer (more) instead. Both meer enthousiast and enthousiaster are perfectly correct!
Why is it dan ik instead of dan mij (than me)?
Dutch uses the subject pronoun ik here because you are comparing two subjects. You can think of it as a shortened form of dan ik ben (than I am). While you might hear native Dutch speakers say dan mij in casual, everyday speech, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard Dutch.
Is it okay if I include the verb and say ...dan ik ben?
Yes, that is absolutely fine. Adding ben at the very end makes the sentence slightly more complete or emphatic, but leaving it out is usually the most natural and common choice, just like in English.
How should I pronounce the th in enthousiast?
Unlike in English, the th combination in Dutch is almost always pronounced simply as a hard 't' sound. You don't put your tongue between your teeth; the beginning of the word just sounds like 'en-toe'.