Grammatica - loco

10
Adverbs
134
are basically as for adjectives, i.e. by the addition of -er and -st (see 9.2.1,
9.3.1).
The predicative superlative is preceded by the article het and ends in -st,
e.g. het mooist ‘(the) prettiest’, het grootst ‘(the) biggest’. Occasionally
one meets superlative adverbs that end in -ste instead of -st, e.g.
het dichste bij or het dichtstbij ‘(the) closest’,
tenminste ‘at least’.
This use of het has a parallel in English although the use of ‘the’ in the
superlative of the adverb is optional in English:
Wanneer zijn de bloemen het mooist?
When are the flowers (the) prettiest?
Wie heeft het langst gezongen?
Who sang (the) longest?
This contrasts with the superlative of the adjective, which is de/het/de
mooiste ‘the prettiest (one)’ or de/het/de langste ‘the tallest (one)’ where
the choice of de, het or de depends on whether the implied noun is common
gender, neuter or plural respectively, e.g. Hij is de langste van de drie jongens
‘He is the tallest (one) of the three boys’.
At times it is difficult to decide whether it is the superlative of the adjective
or the adverb that is required; in such cases usually both are correct but
the use of the article varies (if ‘the’ can be left out in English, it is the
adverb one is dealing with):
Welke vrouw is het mooist? adverb
Welke vrouw is de mooiste? adjective
Which woman is (the) prettiest?
Die weg is het breedst. adverb
Die weg is de breedste. adjective
That road is (the) widest.
Dit meisje is het aardigst. adverb
Dit meisje is het aardigste. adjective
This girl is (the) nicest.