What are intensifier compounds? 🤔
Intensifier compounds are combinations of words where the first part strengthens or intensifies the meaning of the second.
Sounds complicated? Not at all! Let’s look at some simple examples:
Leuk → superleuk / heel leuk
Mooi → supermooi / heel mooi
Interessant → superinteressant / heel interessant
Cool → supercool / heel cool
Ehhh… tja. 😅
There must be more ways to make your language sound more interesting and expressive!
Luckily, there are plenty of colourful combinations in both English and Dutch:
- crystal clear = very clear → kristalhelder
- world-famous = famous all over the world → wereldberoemd
- ice-cold = extremely cold → ijskoud
- brand-new = completely new → gloednieuw
- stone-cold = extremely cold or unemotional → ijskoud / steenkoud, depending on the context
These expressions make your English and Dutch sound more natural, vivid and expressive. They can help you move beyond simply using very, heel or super all the time.
💡 Challenge: Try using one of these expressions today instead of simply saying very, heel or super. Your language will instantly sound a little more colourful!
🌸 Mooi — Beautiful
| Nederlands | English |
| bloedmooi | absolutely gorgeous |
| beeldschoon | stunningly beautiful |
| wonderschoon | breathtakingly beautiful |
| oogverblindend | dazzling |
| adembenemend | breathtaking |
| om door een ringetje te halen | absolutely perfect / immaculate |
| zo mooi als een plaatje | picture-perfect |
| knap om te zien | very attractive / good-looking |
🏔️ Groot & Klein — Big & Small
| Nederlands | English |
| reusachtig | huge / gigantic |
| piepklein | tiny |
| minuscuul | minuscule |
| torenhoog | towering / sky-high |
| huizenhoog | towering / enormous |
| hemelhoog | sky-high |
| zo klein als een muis | as small as a mouse |
| zo klein als een speldenknop | tiny as a pinhead |
⚡ Snel — Fast
| Nederlands | English |
| bliksemsnel | lightning-fast |
| pijlsnel | lightning-fast |
| razendsnel | incredibly fast |
| vliegensvlug | super-fast / lightning-fast |
| als de wind | like the wind |
| in een oogwenk | in the blink of an eye |
| in een mum van tijd | in no time |
🐌 Langzaam — Slowly
| Nederlands | English |
| stapvoets | at walking pace |
| op je gemak | at a leisurely pace |
| op je gemakkie | at a leisurely pace / taking your time |
| slakkengang | at a snail’s pace |
| tergend langzaam | painfully slow |
| zo langzaam als een slak | as slow as a snail |
Small Changes, Big Difference
Small changes can make a big difference and make your English and Dutch sound much more expressive:
De bloedmooie, beeldschone vrouw met haar piepkleine, oogverblindende hoedje rende pijlsnel een huizenhoog gebouw binnen, terwijl haar reusachtige hond tergend langzaam en op zijn gemakkie achter haar aan sjokte.
The absolutely gorgeous, stunningly beautiful woman with her tiny, dazzling hat raced into a towering building at lightning speed, while her gigantic dog followed at a painfully slow, leisurely pace, as if he were taking his sweet time.
Can you beat this sentence? Try to create an even more ridiculous sentence using at least 8 intensifiers!
