teurer

Teurer is the comparative form of the German adjective teuer, meaning expensive or high in price. It is used to indicate that one item costs more than another, typically in comparisons introduced by als, as in Dieses Auto ist teurer als jenes.

Origin and cognates: Teuer belongs to the Germanic family, with cognates in other languages such as English dear and Dutch duur. The comparative teurer develops from the base adjective teuer by adding the standard comparative ending.

Inflection and usage: In attributive position before a noun, teurer inflects according to gender, number and case. With a definite article, you commonly see der teurere Film, die teureren Filme, das teurere Auto. In bare noun phrases (strong inflection), the form is teurer Film, teures Auto, teure Filme. The comparative can be used in constructions like Dieser Film ist teurer als jener. The phrase appears in both singular and plural contexts.

Superlative and related forms: The highest degree is teuerste (der teuerste Film, das teuerste Modell). The adverbial form is am teuersten (Dieses Modell ist am teuersten). In everyday speech, teuer and teurer are often used with explicit price references or in general statements about value and cost.

Nuances and usage notes: Teuer can also carry a sense of emotional value or social weight in some contexts, but the primary meaning remains financial cost. Synonyms include kostspielig and hochpreisig, which may fit different stylistic needs.