Learn Hardcore Dutch: Liefde is belangrijker dan geld, zegt mijn oma. - Love is more important than money, my grandmother says.

When you speak about abstract concepts or make a general statement, Dutch often omits the definite article. Saying “Liefde is belangrijker dan geld” expresses a universal truth, so you don’t need de or het.

What does belangrijker mean and how is it formed?

Belangrijker is the comparative form of belangrijk (important). To form comparatives in Dutch, you usually add -er to the adjective, similar to English -er (e.g. groot – groter, snel – sneller).

Why do we say belangrijker dan instead of meer belangrijk dan?

Most one-syllable and many two-syllable adjectives take -er for the comparative. You reserve meer + adjective for longer or irregular adjectives (e.g. meer interessant). Belangrijk is short enough to form belangrijker directly.

When should I use dan vs als in comparisons?

After a comparative adjective (like belangrijker) you use dan (than). For equality (“as…as”) you use even…als or net zo…als. Example:
• Beter dan jij (better than you)
• Net zo goed als jij (just as good as you)

Why is there a comma before zegt mijn oma, and why does the verb come before the subject here?

Dutch often places a short reporting clause after a main clause with inversion (verb before subject) and separates it with a comma. It’s a stylistic way to say “…says my grandma.”

Why is zegt in present tense, even though Oma probably said it in the past?

This is direct speech in present tense, which makes the quote feel immediate and timeless. If you wanted to report it in past tense, you’d write:
“Liefde is belangrijker dan geld,” zei mijn oma.

Why are there no quotation marks around Liefde is belangrijker dan geld?

In informal contexts or subtitles, Dutch sometimes drops quotation marks for a short direct quote. In formal writing you’d typically include them:
“Liefde is belangrijker dan geld,” zegt mijn oma.