Learn Hardcore Dutch: De ander is vriendelijk.

De ander functions as the subject. It is a noun phrase meaning the other (one), referring to a particular person or thing in a context where a choice or comparison has been made.

Why is the definite article de used with ander instead of het?

In Dutch, most nouns—the ones belonging to the common gender—take the definite article de. When ander is used as a noun to mean the other (person), it follows this rule and therefore is preceded by de rather than het.

Why is the adjective vriendelijk not modified or inflected in this sentence?

In Dutch, adjectives that appear after a linking verb (like is) and function as predicate adjectives are not declined. Thus, vriendelijk remains in its base form, much like adjectives after linking verbs in English.

How does the sentence structure of De ander is vriendelijk. compare to its English equivalent?

The structure is quite similar. Both Dutch and English use a Subject–Verb–Predicate Adjective order here. De ander is the subject, is is the linking verb, and vriendelijk serves as the predicate adjective, just as in the English sentence The other is friendly.