Zoetere

Zoetere is the comparative form of the Dutch adjective zoet, meaning sweeter. It is used to compare the level of sweetness between two or more items and is most commonly placed before a noun in attributive position.

In practice, zoetere appears before a noun, as in phrases like een zoetere smaak (a sweeter taste) or de zoetere appel (the sweeter apple). The form is especially common when describing the quality of something directly, often in culinary or sensory contexts. In predicative constructions after a linking verb, the comparative form changes to zoeter, as in De appel is zoeter dan de peer (The apple is sweeter than the pear).

Etymology traces zoet to the Dutch word for sweet, which is related to the English word sweet. The comparative ending -ere is a productive suffix in Dutch for forming attributive comparatives before nouns. The related noun zoetigheid refers to sweetness itself or sweet treats.

Usage notes: zoetere modifies a noun that is typically singular and can be used with both definite and indefinite determiners, though agreement with definite noun phrases can influence article choice. It is common in everyday speech as well as in written descriptions of food, beverages, or memories described as sweeter.

See also: zoet, zoetigheid, zoeter, comparison in Dutch adjectives.