thou
thou — pronoun
1. In older forms of English, the word for addressing a single person directly — th
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.
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.'
The letter from the 1700s began with 'Dearest sister, I write to thee with joyful tidings.'
During the ceremony, the priest said to Jiwoo, 'May the Lord bless thee and keep thee.'
Amani asked the teacher why the old poem used 'thou' instead of the modern word 'you'.
文法句型
thou + archaic verb ending in -est / -st
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
thou — noun
1. An informal way of saying 'thousand', used mainly when talking about sums of mon
An informal way of saying 'thousand', used mainly when talking about sums of money, prices, or salaries.
The car repairs cost him five thou in total.
'five thou' = five thousand (dollars/pounds)
Eve said her new salary was around sixty thou a year.
The couple offered thirty thou for the used truck.
Rania saved up ten thou for the down payment on the flat.
The contractor quoted eighty thou for the kitchen renovation.
文法句型
number + thou
用法筆記
Almost always used with a number before it (ten thou, fifty thou, a hundred thou). Rarely appears in formal writing such as official contracts or bank statements.
常見錯誤
thou — verb
1. To use the word 'thou' when speaking to someone, especially in a context where c
To use the word 'thou' when speaking to someone, especially in a context where choosing the familiar pronoun signals intimacy, equality, or deliberate informality.
In the Shakespeare workshop, Ari learned when to thou another character on stage.
The old letter showed that the writer chose to thou the recipient as a sign of their close friendship.
to thou + person = address using 'thou'
In Quaker communities, believers would thou everyone they met as a gesture of equal standing.
Nala found it unusual that the textbook instructed students to thou the king in the practice dialogue.
文法句型
thou + person
用法筆記
A very rare verb used almost exclusively in discussions of historical language use. It is not part of everyday modern English vocabulary. Frequently appears in the infinitive form ('to thou someone').