Learn Hardcore Dutch: De stad is drukker dan het dorp. - The city is busier than the village.

Drukker is the comparative form of the adjective druk, which means busy. In Dutch, adjectives often form the comparative by adding -er to the base form, so druk becomes drukker, meaning busier.

Why is dan used in this sentence and what does it signify?

Dan serves as the comparative conjunction in Dutch, much like than in English. It introduces the part of the sentence that is being compared—in this case, het dorp (the village) is what de stad (the city) is being compared to.

Why do the nouns use different articles (de and het) in De stad and het dorp?

In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender, which determines the definite article. Stad is a common gender noun, so it takes de, while dorp is a neuter noun and uses het. This difference is a fundamental aspect of Dutch grammar.

How would you form the superlative of druk and use it in a sentence?

The superlative of druk is typically formed by adding -st, resulting in drukst, which means the busiest. For example, you might say De stad is het drukst to mean "The city is the busiest." Notice that in superlative constructions, it’s common to include the article het.

Is the word order in this sentence typical for comparatives in Dutch?

Yes, the sentence follows the standard Dutch word order for comparatives: it begins with the subject (De stad), followed by the verb (is), then the comparative adjective (drukker), and finally the comparative clause introduced by dan (het dorp). This clear structure makes comparisons straightforward in Dutch.