# Goeienavond (goedenavond)



## valeNC

I'm not really sure if this word is in Dutch, but I guess it is. Anyway I can't find the meaning anywhere and it was well, the sentence was:

Good luck and goieavond

Anyone know what it means??


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## treedkind

Hi, I believe I can help.  First, I believe you are looking for the word  goeienavond, which means "good evening."  You won't often find it in dictionaries or translators for a few reasons.

In Dutch, we pronounce the word goede as "goeie" even though it is spelled like the former.  So sometimes, in informal situations like letters to friends and the like, you will run across "interesting" spellings of some words like goeienavond or goeiemorgen (good morning).

So, the phrase means "good luck and good night."


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## MaxJ

It's spelled as "goeienavond" but also as "goeieavond" and "goeie avond". But I never use it, morgen, middag, avond and nacht written with "goeie" looks very ugly in my eyes.


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## treedkind

Thanks for the clarification.  Ik leer het Nederlands... sorry!


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## Taalmsje

In Dutch, as probably in all languages, there's a difference in "writing language"(official spelling) and "speaking language" (the way it is spoken or pronounced). 

Goeieavond is definitely "speaking language", you seldom see it written like that, but to say it is very common. So personally I won't use it as a written word but it's okay to say "goeieavond" to someone.

so:

written goedenavond = spoken goeieavond (good evening)
" goedemiddag = " goeiemiddag (good afternoon)
" goedemorgen = " goeiemorgen (good morning)


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## dreadedutch

Taalmsje said:


> so:
> 
> spoken goedenavond = written goeieavond (good evening)



don't you mean:

written goedenavond = spoken goeieavond (good evening)?

I'd like to add that although there are more people who often say goeie avond (or any of the other variations discussed so far) there are also people who do say goedenavond or goede avond (or goede(n) morgen, goede(n) middag, goede(n) avond and goede(n) nacht). Still it remains a more formal way of greeting someone during the day.


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## Grytolle

How uncommon do you estimate pronouncing the n in goeienavond is?


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## Joannes

MaxJ said:


> It's spelled as "goeienavond" but also as "goeieavond" and "goeie avond". But I never use it, morgen, middag, avond and nacht written with "goeie" looks very ugly in my eyes.


Peculiar judgement because that's probably how you would say it, though.



Grytolle said:


> How uncommon do you estimate pronouncing the n in goeienavond is?


I don't know if Grytolle is genuinely asking or preparing to contradict the answer , but I really wonder how (un)common pronouncing the /n/ in *goeienavond* would be in the Netherlands. Views on that?

(In all Flemish regions, it would be uncommon not to pronounce it.)


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## dreadedutch

You can't really tell specifically how common or uncommon it is to use or not use the n in goeienavond. It's an informal way of greeting someone so there are no rules that dictate how to use it. So in Holland it's a matter of personal preference.


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## PabloElFlamenco

I'm a switch, use both

"goeienavond" (I pronounce it "goeienavend")
and
"goeden avond" (again, saying "avend")

Don't ask me why; I don't kow anything about grammar (but both the Dutch and the Flemish understand everyting I say, even if, chameleonlike, I change the pronunciation depending on who I speak to).  No big deal.

Pablo


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## Grytolle

Joannes said:


> I don't know if Grytolle is genuinely asking or preparing to contradict the answer , but I really wonder how (un)common pronouncing the /n/ in *goeienavond* would be in the Netherlands. Views on that?
> 
> (In all Flemish regions, it would be uncommon not to pronounce it.)


Genuinely wondering about the Netherlands


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## Taalmsje

If I say "goedenavond" it would be to an older or respectable person , someone I would also say "u" to and not "je". It is a bit formal, saying goedenavond instead of goeieavond.


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## Joannes

dreadedutch said:


> You can't really tell specifically how common or uncommon it is to use or not use the n in goeienavond. It's an informal way of greeting someone so there are no rules that dictate how to use it. So in Holland it's a matter of personal preference.



In Vlaanderen is *goeienavond* informeel (en heel gebruikelijk) en *goedenavond* formeel. *Goeie avond* of *goede avond* (zonder tussen-n) wordt amper gezegd, en daar zijn verschillende redenen voor te bedenken (locale flectiesystemen, eufonie: de /n/ wordt vaak gebruikt als tussenklank). Maar voor Vlamingen ligt het verschil informeel-formeel enkel in de /d/ vs. /j/. Is dat dan anders in Nederland - is het al dan niet uitspreken van de /n/ bepalend voor de formaliteit? Zo ja, hoe zou je de vier mogelijke uitspraken (*goeienavond*, *goeie avond*, *goede avond*, *goedenavond*) dan ordenen volgens formaliteit? Indien niet, zijn er dan toch geen tendensen te zien in het al dan niet uitspreken van de /n/ - het ene vaker dan het andere, misschien afhankelijk van regio,..?


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