goedenavond
/ˌɣu.dəˈnaː.vɔnt/
goedenavond is the Dutch way to say good evening.
This greeting is used typically from the late afternoon or sunset until the end of the day.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Which one should you use?
While goedenavond is the standard greeting, you may encounter the phrase Goede avond gewenst, which is a formal way to say "wishing you a good evening".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Flemish, the capitalized Goedenavond is a common formal way to say "good evening". In very casual settings, Dutch speakers may shorten the greeting to just avond!
How does it change in a sentence?
In the common single-word form goedenavond, an extra '-n' is added to the adjective 'goede' due to Dutch spelling rules for compounds.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɣu.dəˈnaː.vɔnt/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word avond is a cognate of the English word 'eventide', both deriving from a root meaning 'evening'.
- The single-word greeting goedenavond is actually the accusative form of the phrase goede avond.
- While goedenavond is a greeting used upon arrival, Dutch speakers switch to een fijne avond specifically when they are leaving to wish someone a pleasant rest of their night.
Examples in context
- Goedenavond; hoe gaat het?Good evening. How're you doing?This example shows how to use goedenavond to follow up with a casual inquiry about how someone is doing.Tatoeba #11770729 by nieki2000, translation #7926090 by shekitten
- Goedenavond, hoe maakt u het?Good evening, how are you?This example uses goedenavond with a more formal way to ask how someone is.Tatoeba #5959 by Dorenda, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- Goedenavond, ik had graag een glas volle melk.Good evening. I'd like a glass of whole milk.This example shows using goedenavond to begin a polite request.Tatoeba #3498193 by PaulP, translation #3499041 by danepo
- Goedenavond, meneer.Good evening, sir.
- Hoi! Goeie avond!Hi! Good evening!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noah and Emma meet at a cafe in the evening.
- NoahGoedenavond, Emma.Good evening, Emma.
- EmmaGoedenavond, Noah.Good evening, Noah.
- NoahHoe was je dag?How was your day?
- EmmaHet was een drukke dag.It was a busy day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries goedenavond, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries goedenavond, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
