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Questions & Answers about Goedenavond, mevrouw!
Why is goedenavond written as one word instead of two?
In Dutch, standard greetings like goedenavond (good evening), goedemorgen (good morning), and goedemiddag (good afternoon) are typically combined into a single word. It is just a spelling convention you have to memorize for these specific daily greetings!
Why is there an "n" in the middle of goedenavond?
The "n" is a leftover from very old Dutch grammar. While you would normally just use goede for a "good" thing today, these everyday greetings kept their old spelling. That is why we say goedenavond and goedemorgen.
Does mevrouw mean "madam" or "Mrs."?
It means both! In this sentence, it is used on its own to mean "madam" or "ma'am" as a polite way to address a woman. If you put it in front of a last name, like mevrouw Jansen, it means "Mrs." or "Ms."
Does the word mevrouw have smaller words inside it?
Yes! It is made up of an old shortened version of mijn (my) and vrouw (woman or wife). While it originally meant "my lady," today it is simply the normal, polite way to address any adult woman.