Middaguren

Middaguren is a Dutch term that refers to the hours after noon, i.e., the afternoon portion of the day. The word combines middag (noon/afternoon) and uren (hours) and denotes a time interval rather than a specific moment.

In contemporary Dutch, people more commonly say “in de middag” to indicate the time from around noon until the early evening. The plural form “middaguren” appears mainly in formal, literary, or historical contexts, such as schedules, contracts, or descriptions of daily routines. The exact span of the middaguren can vary depending on context, region, or customary practice.

Linguistically, middaguren reflects the traditional division of the day into ochtend (morning), middag (midday/afternoon), and avond (evening). In older texts, the phrase may be used to designate a continuous block of time during which activities, services, or work were carried out after lunch. The emphasis is on the interval of the afternoon rather than a precise clock time.

Culturally, the concept aligns with practices such as a midday break or lunch pause, which can influence how the afternoon hours are perceived or scheduled. Today, the term is less common in everyday speech but remains recognizable in formal writing, historical sources, and discussions of timekeeping or Dutch linguistic usage.