Breakdown of Het nieuwe huis van mijn broer is mooier dan zijn oude appartement.
zijn
to be
nieuw
new
het huis
the house
mooi
beautiful
oud
old
zijn
his
mijn
my
dan
than
van
of
de broer
the brother
het appartement
the apartment
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Questions & Answers about Het nieuwe huis van mijn broer is mooier dan zijn oude appartement.
What does the sentence "Het nieuwe huis van mijn broer is mooier dan zijn oude appartement" mean in English?
It means "My brother's new house is more beautiful than his old apartment." The sentence compares two properties, indicating that the new house (owned by the speaker’s brother) is more attractive than his previous apartment.
Why is the definite article "het" used with "huis" instead of "de"?
In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender. "Huis" is a neuter noun, so it takes the neuter definite article "het" rather than "de," which is used for common gender nouns.
Why do the adjectives "nieuwe" and "oude" have an -e ending in this sentence?
When adjectives come before a noun accompanied by a definite article or a possessive modifier, they take an -e ending. In "het nieuwe huis" and "zijn oude appartement," these adjectives are correctly inflected according to this rule.
How is the comparative form of the adjective "mooi" constructed in this sentence?
The comparative in Dutch is typically formed by adding the suffix -er to the adjective. Thus, "mooi" (beautiful) becomes "mooier" (more beautiful). The word "dan" follows the comparative, corresponding to "than" in English.
Why does the sentence use "van mijn broer" in one part and "zijn" in another when referring to the brother?
"Van mijn broer" translates directly to "of my brother," clearly attributing the house to him. Later, instead of repeating the full possessive phrase, Dutch uses the possessive pronoun "zijn" (his) to refer back to the same person, making the sentence less repetitive and more natural.
Is the structure of this Dutch comparative sentence similar to that of English?
Yes, the structure is quite similar. Both languages use a comparative adjective followed by a conjunction to introduce the standard of comparison ("dan" in Dutch and "than" in English). Although the placement of adjectives and the specifics of article usage differ, the overall subject-verb-complement pattern remains familiar to English speakers.
What is the role of the preposition "van" in the phrase "van mijn broer"?
The preposition "van" means "of" in English. In the phrase "van mijn broer," it indicates possession or belonging, showing that the "nieuwe huis" is owned by "mijn broer" (my brother). This functions similarly to a genitive construction in English.