De jas is stoer, maar de rok is eleganter.

The jacket is cool, but the skirt is more elegant.

Breakdown of De jas is stoer, maar de rok is eleganter.

• zijn: to be
• maar: but
• de rok: the skirt
• de jas: the jacket
• stoer: cool
• elegant: elegant

Questions & Answers about De jas is stoer, maar de rok is eleganter.

Why is it de jas and de rok and not het jas or het rok?

In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender: de-words (common gender) and het-words (neuter).

• jas (coat/jacket) is a de-word → de jas
• rok (skirt) is also a de-word → de rok

There is no rule you can rely on for these two; you simply have to learn the gender with the noun:

• de jas
• de rok

Using het here would be grammatically wrong.

Why is it stoer and not stoere in De jas is stoer?

The adjective stoer is used after the verb is. That position is called predicative.

• Predicative adjectives do not get the -e ending in Dutch:
  • De jas is stoer.
  • De rok is elegant.
  • De auto is duur.

You only add -e when the adjective comes before the noun (attributive), with most de-words and plural nouns:

• De stoere jas (the cool/tough jacket)
• De elegante rok (the elegant skirt)

So:

• De jas is stoer. (no -e)
• De stoere jas (with -e)

Why is it eleganter and not meer elegant?

Dutch usually forms the comparative by adding -er to the adjective, just like English often adds -er (taller, faster).

• elegant → eleganter (more elegant)
• mooi → mooier (more beautiful)
• duur → duurder (more expensive)

You generally use meer + adjective for:

• longer or more complex adjectives, especially those that sound awkward with -er:
  • meer geïnteresseerd (more interested)
  • meer ontspannen (more relaxed)

Eleganter is short and sounds natural, so eleganter is preferred over meer elegant in normal speech.

Why does eleganter also have no -e ending (not elegantere)?

Same reason as with stoer: it is used predicatively, after the verb is.

• De rok is eleganter. (no -e)
• But: de elegantere rok (the more elegant skirt) → attribute before noun, so it takes -e.

So:

• Predicate: is eleganter → no -e
• Before noun: elegantere rok → with -e

Why is the word order maar de rok is eleganter and not maar is de rok eleganter?

Maar here is a coordinating conjunction (like but in English). Coordinating conjunctions in Dutch do not change the main-clause word order.

• Normal main clause: De rok is eleganter.
• Add maar at the start: Maar de rok is eleganter.

We only move the verb to the end in subordinate clauses (with words like omdat, dat, terwijl), not with maar:

• Omdat de rok eleganter is. (subordinate → verb at the end)

So maar de rok is eleganter is correct main-clause word order.

Can I leave out the second de and say De jas is stoer, maar rok is eleganter?

No. In Dutch, you almost always need an article or determiner before a singular countable noun.

You must repeat de:

• De jas is stoer, maar de rok is eleganter.

Leaving out de here sounds incorrect or very unnatural in standard Dutch.

How would I say The jacket is more elegant than the skirt in Dutch?

You flip the comparison and use dan (“than”):

• De jas is eleganter dan de rok.

Pattern:

• [Subject A] + is + [adjective + -er] + dan + [Subject B].
  • De auto is duurder dan de fiets.
  • Mijn kamer is groter dan jouw kamer.

Why is it dan and not als after eleganter?

Dutch uses:

• dan after comparatives (more/less + adjective):

  • eleganter dan (more elegant than)
  • groter dan (bigger than)
  • minder duur dan (less expensive than)

• als for equality:

  • even elegant als (as elegant as)
  • net zo groot als (just as big as)

So:

• eleganter dan de rok (more elegant than the skirt)
• even elegant als de rok (as elegant as the skirt)

What nuance does stoer have compared to English cool or tough?

Stoer can mean:

• tough / rugged: physically or mentally strong
  • Een stoere man – a tough guy
  • Stoere laarzen – rugged boots
• cool / bold: impressive in a brave, confident way
  • Dat is stoer van je. – That’s brave of you / That’s cool of you.

In De jas is stoer, it suggests the jacket looks tough, bold, maybe a bit edgy, not just “fashionable” in a neutral way.

Could I also say De jas is cool, maar de rok is eleganter in Dutch?

Yes, many Dutch speakers use the English loanword cool in casual speech:

• De jas is cool, maar de rok is eleganter.

However:

• stoer has more of a tough / rugged / bold connotation
• cool is broader and more like English cool

Both are understandable; stoer is more “Dutch” in flavour.

How do you pronounce jas, rok, stoer, eleganter, and maar?

Approximate pronunciations (IPA and rough English hints):

• jas → /jɑs/
  
  • like “yahs”, with short a as in “sock” (but shorter)
• rok → /rɔk/
  
  • like “rock” but with a shorter o and a rolled or tapped r
• stoer → /stur/ or /stʏr/ (regional variation)
  
  • oe is like oo in “food”, but shorter
• eleganter → /ˌeːləˈɣɑntər/
  
  • e at start like “ay” in “day” but shorter
  • g is the typical Dutch guttural sound in the throat
  • stress on -gan-
• maar → /maːr/
  
  • long aa, like “maahr” with a lengthened a and a rolled/tapped r

Regional accents vary, but these are standard Dutch approximations.

If I make the nouns plural, do the adjectives change form?

The verb changes, but the predicative adjectives still do not get -e:

• Singular: De jas is stoer, maar de rok is eleganter.
• Plural: De jassen zijn stoer, maar de rokken zijn eleganter.

Even in plural, after zijn the adjectives stay:

• stoer
• eleganter

But before the noun (attributive), you would add -e:

• de stoere jassen
• de elegantere rokken