Learn Hardcore Dutch: De huurprijs is hoog, maar de buurt is rustig. - The rent price is high, but the neighborhood is quiet.

Dutch nouns are either common gender (de) or neuter (het). Both huurprijs and buurt are common-gender nouns, so they take de. For compounds like huurprijs, the last part (the head) determines gender; the head is prijs (a de-word), so it’s de huurprijs.

Is huurprijs one word or two?

One word. Dutch compounding writes nouns together: huur + prijs → huurprijs. The plural is huurprijzen.

Could I just say De huur is hoog instead of De huurprijs is hoog?

Yes, that’s common and idiomatic. De huur is hoog means the rent (amount) is high. De huurprijs is hoog is a bit more formal/explicit. Avoid using duur with huur; you usually say a price is hoog/laag, while things are duur/goedkoop.

Why not use duur for price, as in English “expensive”?

In Dutch:

For amounts/prices: use hoog (high) / laag (low): De prijs/huur is hoog.
For things/services: use duur (expensive) / goedkoop (cheap): Het appartement is duur. Some speakers do say De huur is duur, but hoog is more standard.

Why is there a comma before maar?

It’s optional. Maar is a coordinating conjunction, and a comma before coordinating conjunctions is a stylistic choice in Dutch. With short clauses, you can write either De huurprijs is hoog maar de buurt is rustig or include the comma, as in your sentence.

Does maar change word order?

No. Maar is coordinating, so each clause keeps normal main-clause word order (verb in second position): de buurt is rustig. If you used a subordinating linker like hoewel, you’d get verb-final in the clause: hoewel de buurt rustig is.

Why is it hoog and rustig without an -e ending?

After the verb zijn (to be), adjectives are predicative and stay uninflected: is hoog, is rustig. With a noun in front (attributive), you add -e where required: de hoge huurprijs, een rustige buurt.

How would I say “too high”?

Use te: De huurprijs is te hoog.

Can I drop the second de and say … maar buurt is rustig?

No. Dutch typically requires an article with a singular countable noun. You need de: … maar de buurt is rustig. Alternatively, you can rephrase: Het is rustig in de buurt.

How do I negate the second clause?

Use niet before the adjective: … maar de buurt is niet rustig. If you use the attributive structure: … maar het is geen rustige buurt (use geen with an indefinite noun phrase).

What’s the difference between rustig and stil?

rustig = calm/quiet in a broader sense (low noise, little traffic, peaceful vibe).
stil = silent/very quiet (focus on sound).
A neighborhood is typically rustig; a library is often stil.

What’s the difference between buurt and wijk?

Both mean neighborhood, but:

buurt is a smaller, more colloquial area within a town/city.
wijk is a larger, often officially defined district.
Regional habits vary; both are common in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Pronunciation tips for tricky sounds here?

uu in huurprijs/buurt: a long front rounded vowel; keep lips rounded (not like English “oo”).
ij in prijs: pronounced like Dutch ei (similar to English “ay” in “day,” but not identical).
oo in hoog: long “o” (like English “oh,” held longer).
Final g in hoog/rustig: a throaty sound; in the Netherlands it’s a harsh ch-like sound; in Flanders it’s softer.

Can maar also mean “only”?

Yes, maar can be a limiting particle meaning “only” in other contexts (e.g., Ik heb maar vijf euro). In your sentence, maar is the conjunction “but.”

How would I make comparisons?

Use the comparative with -er and dan:

De huurprijs is hoger, maar de buurt is rustiger dan die van vorig jaar. Superlative: het hoogst, het rustigst:
Hier is de huurprijs het hoogst, maar het is ook het rustigst.

Where do degree words like erg, heel, best go?

They go before the adjective: De huurprijs is erg/heel/best hoog, maar de buurt is heel rustig.

Could I start the sentence with Maar?

Yes. Starting with Maar is fine in Dutch (and common in speech/writing for contrast): Maar de buurt is rustig.