vannacht

Vannacht is a Dutch adverb used to refer to the night period around the present time. It can denote the night that has just occurred or the night that is currently ongoing, and in some contexts it may also refer to the coming night. The term is distinct from vanavond, which typically points to the upcoming evening, and from gisterennacht, which explicitly marks the previous night. In everyday speech, vannacht often appears in reference to events that occurred during the night, as in weather reports or news recounting.

Etymology and form: vannacht stems from the combination of van and nacht, with assimilation leading to the double n in modern spelling. The word has been part of Dutch since Middle Dutch and remains a common time specification in both spoken and written language. Its usage can vary regionally and with formality, but it remains a standard way to speak about the night in contrast to other time terms for the day.

Usage notes: Vannacht is most natural when the speaker is discussing a nocturnal period relative to the present moment. In formal writing or when intending the upcoming night, writers and speakers may prefer vanavond for the evening or gisterennacht for the last night. Ambiguity can arise if the surrounding context does not clearly indicate whether the night in question is past or future, so accompanying time cues (today, yesterday, tonight) are common.

See also: vanavond, gisterennacht, gisteravond, nacht, tijdsaanduiding.