thou

thou — pronoun

1. In older forms of English, the word for addressing a single person directly — th

1.pronounB2
Definition

In older forms of English, the word for addressing a single person directly — the singular counterpart of 'you', now found chiefly in prayers, classic literature, and historical writing.

Example

Sahil opened the old Bible and read, 'Thou art my hiding place and my shield.'

thou + archaic verb form 'art'

In the school play, Christopher spoke the line: 'I shall never betray thee, my king.'

Common collocations
  • thou art
  • thou shalt
  • thou dost
  • thou hast
Synonyms
  • you

    the modern standard pronoun for both singular and plural address

  • thee

    the objective case form of 'thou', used as an object (not subject)

  • ye

    archaic plural form of 'you', used for addressing more than one person

Grammar Patterns

thou + archaic verb ending in -est / -st

Usage Note

In Early Modern English, 'thou' was used with distinctive verb endings: '-est' (thou speakest, thou goest) or '-st' (thou art, thou hast). The objective form is 'thee' and the possessive forms are 'thy' and 'thine'.

Common Mistakes

I told thou to wait outside.
I told thee to wait outside.
'thou' is the subject form; 'thee' is used as an object.
Thou has a kind heart.
Thou hast a kind heart.
The verb after 'thou' takes the ending '-st' or '-est'.

thou — noun

thou — verb

Word family

  • thee
    pronounB2
  • thy
    determinerB2
  • thine
    pronounC1
  • thyself
    pronounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: pronoun/1

All four words are second-person pronouns, but they differ in case, number, and time period. 'Thou' is the archaic singular subject form (I speak to thee; thou art kind). 'Thee' is its object counterpart (I give this to thee). 'Ye' was the plural form in older English (Ye are all welcome). 'You' started as the plural object form but over time replaced both singular and plural, subject and object roles in modern English. Today 'thou' appears only in religious texts, classic literature, and a few regional dialects. For example, a modern speaker would say 'You are my friend' whereas a King James Bible verse reads 'Thou art my friend.'

you ↗thee ↗ye

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a thou
  • per thou

Phrases

  • thou art
  • thou shalt
  • five thou
  • ten thou

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Thou comes from Old English 'þū', which traces back to the Proto-Germanic '*þū' and further to the Proto-Indo-European '*túh₂', the basic second-person singular pronoun. It is related to Latin 'tū' (you singular), Ancient Greek 'σύ' (sú), Sanskrit 'त्वम्' (tvám), and modern German 'du'. The word was the ordinary singular form of 'you' in English until the 17th century, when 'you' (originally the plural and formal form) gradually replaced it in most contexts.