Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| goedenacht | /ˌɣu.dəˈnɑxt/ | |
| goeienacht | ||
| welterusten | /ˈʋɛl.təˌrʏs.tə(n)/ /ˌʋɛl.təˈrʏs.tə(n)/ |
|
| trusten | familiar | |
| slaapwel | /ˈslaːpˌʋɛl/ | Belgium |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase welterusten is a combination of wel (well) and rusten (to rest).
Which one should you use?
welterusten is the most common way to say "good night" specifically when someone is actually going to bed to sleep. In spoken Dutch, you may also hear goeienacht, which is a common variation of goedenacht.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more familiar or casual tone, you can use trusten.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the West Flanders region, goenacht may be used instead of goedenacht. In Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, slaapwel is a common way to say "sleep well" or "good night". In Flemish, the informal expression slaapzacht can also be used to mean "sleep tight".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the spoken variation goeienacht, the unstressed de from goedenacht is elided.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˌɣu.dəˈnɑxt/ with three syllables and the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Dutch-speaking households, instead of a formal farewell, you might simply hear the word slaap lekker, which translates to 'sleep tastily' but functions as 'sleep well'.
- The Dutch word for 'rest' inside welterusten is rusten, which shares the same root as the English word 'rust' in the sense of remaining still or dormant.
- The word welterusten is a result of univerbation, where the words wel, te and rusten fused into a single word over time.
Examples in context
- Goedenacht, en zoete dromen.Good night and sweet dreams.This sentence uses goedenacht to wish someone sweet dreams.Tatoeba #974442 by martinod, translation #64653 by Eldad
- Goedenacht. Droom maar lekker.Good night. Sweet dreams.Tatoeba #388257 by Dorenda, translation #2194 by laurafults
- Ze kuste haar moeder slaapwel.She kissed her mother good night.This sentence uses slaapwel to describe kissing someone good night.Tatoeba #12671367 by Yuzu_Sa_sushi, translation #310642 by CK
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Levi are going to bed after a long day.
- EmmaIk ben nu erg moe.I am very tired now.
- LeviIk ook. Goedenacht, Emma.Me too. Good night, Emma.
- EmmaGoedenacht, Levi.Good night, Levi.
- LeviSlaap lekker!Sleep well!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries goedenacht, goeienacht, welterusten, slaapwel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries welterusten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
