hallo, goedemorgen
/ɦɑˈloː ˌɣu.dəˈmɔr.ɣə(n)/word by word
In Dutch, "hello, good morning" is expressed as hallo, goedemorgen.
This phrase is used as a friendly greeting when meeting someone during the early part of the day, typically from sunrise until around noon.
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter goeiemorgen, which is an informal variation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal way of saying 'hello, good morning' is goedemorgen. Using goedemorgen without hallo is more formal and standard for professional settings. In contrast, goeiemorgen is the informal way to say 'hello, good morning'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦɑˈloː ˌɣu.dəˈmɔr.ɣə(n)/ (6 syllables, stress on the 2nd syllable)
Did you know?
- Dutch has a specific concept called gezelligheid, which often accompanies a friendly goedemorgen to create a cozy and social atmosphere.
- While hallo is a standard greeting, it shares the same roots as the English 'halloa' or 'hollo', which were originally used as shouts to get attention or to drive hounds during a hunt.
- In the Netherlands, greeting a shopkeeper with goedemorgen is not just polite but often expected, as omitting a greeting can be seen as surprisingly rude.
Examples in context
- Goedemorgen, mijnheer/mevrouw. Hoe gaat het met u?Good morning, sir/madam. How are you?
- Ik wilde alleen even "goedemorgen" zeggen.I just wanted to say "good morning."
- Goeiemorgen, hoe is het met jou?Good morning, how are you?
- Hé, goeiemorgen! Het is een mooie dag vandaag.Hey, good morning! It's a beautiful day today.
- Hallo, goedemorgen, iedereen!Hello, good morning, everyone!
- Hallo, goedemorgen, hoe gaat het?Hello, good morning, how are you?
- Hallo, goedemorgen, heeft u koffie?Hello, good morning, do you have coffee?
Example conversation
Lucas meets Emma at the office in the early morning.
- LucasHallo, goedemorgen, Emma!Hello, good morning, Emma!
- EmmaGoedemorgen, Lucas. Hoe gaat het?Good morning, Lucas. How are you?
- LucasGoed, dank je. En met jou?Good, thank you. And with you?
- EmmaOok goed, dank je.Also good, thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hallo, goedemorgen) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries goedemorgen, hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
