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Comparative 5
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Lecture1.1
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Lecture1.2
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Lecture1.3
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Lecture1.4
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Lecture1.5
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Superlative 3
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Lecture2.1
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Lecture2.2
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Lecture2.3
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Non-adjectives that have a comparative and superlative form 1
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Lecture3.1
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Use of the comparative
The comparative is used in Dutch when two or more items are compared. When both of the compared elements are present in the sentence, the word dan (‘than’) is used. If the other compared element is not present, dan will not be present either (see the third and last sentences below):
Kenny’s room is bigger than Alan’s room.
Is this blouse nicer than the other one?
You do have to cut the slices a bit thinner!
Wine is a lot more expensive than beer.
That coat suits you better.
The word dan in these sentences is a subordinating conjunction. In informal spoken Dutch it is possible to hear als instead of dan. However, many people would consider this incorrect.