Ernstigere

Ernstig, in Dutch, means serious or severe. Ernstigere is the comparative form of ernst—used to indicate a higher degree of seriousness. It can function in different syntactic positions, most often before a noun or after a linking verb.

In predicative use, ernstiger is common: De situatie is ernstiger dan verwacht. This compares two states of affairs directly. In attributive use, ernstigere appears before a noun to denote a more serious instance: een ernstigere situatie, de ernstigere waarschuwing, of de ernstigere gevallen. The corresponding superlative is ernstigste, as in de ernstigste waarschuwing.

Spelling and usage notes:

- The form ernstiger is typically used when no noun follows, or in comparisons without a definite noun: De risico’s zijn ernstiger geworden.

- When the adjective precedes a noun in attributive position and is inflected for definiteness or plurality, the form is often- geaccentuated as ernstigere: een ernstigere situatie; de ernstigere patiënt.

- In practice, ernstiger en ernstigere vormen verschijnen in zowel informele praat als formele tekst, waaronder nieuwsberichten, medische communicatie en beleidsdocumenten.

Etymology and related terms:

Ernstig derives from ernst, meaning seriousness. Related nouns include ernst en ernstigheid; the corresponding superlative is ernstigste. The term is used across Dutch-speaking regions, with minor stylistic differences between informal en formeel taalgebruik.

In summary, ernstigere is the standard way to express “more serious” in front of a noun or in comparisons, while ernstiger is used in predicative comparisons.