# Need some Dutch help

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 30, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169 "2007-04-30T16:11:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/1 "2007-04-30T16:11:26Z")

</div>

My grandmother passed away yesterday and we are preparing the obituary. Grandma was very Dutch and used to say something to us when we went to bed. What I need is the proper spelling:

_ **wel te rusten** _

or

_ **well te rusten** _

I believe it means well to rest.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/2 "2007-04-30T16:38:19Z")

</div>

Wel te rusten. Literally: well to rest.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/3 "2007-04-30T16:58:32Z")

</div>

Thanks Qadgop I really appreciate the help!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/4 "2007-04-30T18:04:42Z")

</div>

welterusten is the modern spelling (without the spaces)

alt: goedenacht

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![4.66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/2bfe46/32.png) [@4.66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4.66)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/5 "2007-04-30T19:26:33Z")

</div>

It’s _welterusten_ without the spaces. And to expand on **The Librarian** ’s answer: while _goedenacht_ is another good translation of _good night_, welterusten is used exclusively when one of the parties is going to sleep. Goedenacht is better suited for waking situations.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/6 "2007-04-30T20:12:49Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Van Dale]  
welterusten  
wel·te·rus·ten  
het accent wisselt  
tussenw.  
1  
·  
gewone wens bij het slapengaan  
**synoniem: goedenacht**  
iem. welterusten wensen  
[/QUOTE]

As a native dutch speaker I’d say it would be a matter of personal preference/habit. (the above quote from my dutch dictionary seems to agree)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![4.66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/2bfe46/32.png) [@4.66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4.66)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/7 "2007-04-30T21:14:00Z")

</div>

As another native Dutch speaker I’ve only encountered _welterusten_ or _slaap lekker_ and perhaps an occasional _goedenacht_ on more formal situations. Ofcourse, it’s certainly possible that your experience has been different. This does not seem the place to start a discussion about it. Perhaps I shouldn’t have made the first comment.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-dutch-help/402169/8 "2007-05-01T08:41:20Z")

</div>

On a related note, my mother (left Holland many years before I was born) would often send us off to bed with an exasperated “ga slaapjes doen!”