mooi

Mooi is a Dutch adjective and, in some contexts, an interjection meaning "beautiful," "pretty," or "nice." It describes the appearance of people, objects, landscapes, or events, and can also refer to weather, as in the common expression mooi weer for good weather. In everyday speech, mooi can express approval, for example when someone says “Mooi!” to mean “Nice!” or “Great!”

Usage and forms: When placed before a noun, the adjective can take different endings depending on definiteness. After an indefinite article, it appears in its base form: een mooi huis (a beautiful house). After de or het, the adjective takes the -e ending: de mooie auto, het mooie weer. In the plural, mooie is used: de mooie huizen. The comparative form is mooier, and the superlative is het mooist, though the superlative is often used with the definite article: de mooiste dag.

Grammatical notes: In predicative position after a linking verb, mooi typically remains in its base form: Het is mooi. It can also modify verbs in certain expressions, as in dat ziet er mooi uit (that looks nice).

Afrikaans and cognates: In Afrikaans, which shares roots with Dutch, mooi has a similar meaning and is frequently used in everyday speech; the exclamation Mooi! is also common. Frisian has a related word, moai, with a closely aligned meaning.

See also: Dutch adjectives, Dutch grammar, expressions for weather, and common collocations such as mooi weer, mooie dag, and het mooi is.