nacht
/nɑxt/masculine
The Dutch word for night is nacht.
nacht refers to the period between sunset and sunrise. It can also serve as a short, informal way to say "good night."
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the adverbial phrase "at night" or "during the night", use the contraction 's nachts.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɑxt/
When do people say it?
When wishing someone a good night, a common phrase to use is Welterusten!
Did you know?
- The phrase een nachtje slapen means 'to sleep for a night', but is often used idiomatically to mean taking time to think about a big decision.
- The Dutch have a specific term nachtmerrie for 'nightmare', where merrie comes from an old word for a spirit or demon that sits on a sleeper's chest.
- The contraction 's nachts contains a hidden remnant of the word des, an old genitive article. This makes the phrase literally mean 'of night'.
Examples in context
- Ik werk 's nachts.I work during the night.This sentence demonstrates the use of the phrase to describe working during the night.Tatoeba #8836057 by Micsmithel, translation #1341578 by marco87
- De nacht is donker.The night is dark.This sentence shows how to describe the night as being dark.Tatoeba #7122096 by Micsmithel, translation #1956380 by Spamster
- 's Nachts slaap je.At night you sleep.This sentence illustrates the use of the contraction 's nachts to say "at night".Tatoeba #8837382 by Micsmithel, translation #5243791 by Objectivesea
- Ik ga vanavond de hele nacht doorwerken.I am going to work all night tonight.
- Het is tijd om vanavond op stap te gaan!It's time to go out tonight!
- Vannacht was een slapeloze nacht.Last night was a sleepless night.
- 311 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Levi are talking about their sleep schedules.
- JuliaSlaap je goed in de nacht?Do you sleep well during the night?
- LeviNee, ik ben vaak wakker in de nacht.No, I am often awake during the night.
- JuliaDat is vervelend voor jou, Levi.That is annoying for you, Levi.
- LeviJa, ik wil een rustige nacht.Yes, I want a quiet night.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations and entries nacht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
