Gisteravond

Gisteravond is a Dutch adverb meaning the evening of yesterday, commonly translated as "last night" or "yesterday evening." It is used to place an event in the recent past, specifically during the evening hours of the day before today. The term is widespread in both spoken and written Dutch in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Spelling and etymology: The standard spelling is gisteravond, written as a single word. The form gisterenavond appears in informal writing but is not considered standard. The word is a compound of gister, a shortened form of gisteren meaning "yesterday," and avond meaning "evening." This construction aligns with other time expressions that pair a relative day with a part of the day.

Usage notes: Gisteravond answers the question "When did this happen?" for events that occurred in the evening of the previous day. It is distinct from vanavond, which means "this evening" (the evening of today), and from vannacht, which refers to the night hours that follow the evening. In journalism, storytelling, and everyday speech, gisteravond is commonly used to anchor past events in time.

Examples: "Gisteravond heb ik een film gekeken." "Het concert vond gisteravond plaats." These sentences illustrate typical use, indicating activities that occurred during the prior evening.

See also: vanavond, vannacht, gisteren.