Shakespeare Translator
Turn modern English into Shakespearean style (thou, thee, doth) and see every word that changed.
Modern English
5,000 character limit reached. Extra text was cut off.
Shakespearean style
Style rewrite for fun – not a real Early Modern English translation.
What changed
| Your word | Changed to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Good morrow | Greeting in the plays |
| you | thou | "You" as the subject |
| are | art | Verb form used with thou |
| always | ever | Time word in the plays |
| Do | Dost | Verb form used with thou |
| you | thou | "You" as the subject |
| your | thy | "Your" before a word |
No words changed. Try everyday words like you, hello, never, why.
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What Is a Shakespeare Translator?
A Shakespeare translator rewrites modern English in the style of Shakespeare's plays: thou art for you are, doth for does, 'tis for it is, wherefore for why, and greetings like good morrow. This one works from a word list and grammar rules, and every swap is listed in a table under the result so you can see why a line reads the way it does.
Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English, the same stage of the language as the King James Bible. Our Old English translator uses the same thou and thee grammar with a plainer, older vocabulary; this page leans on words you meet in the plays.
How to Use the Shakespeare Translator
Write your line
Type or paste modern English, up to 5,000 characters. A sample line is already there.
Read the table
Each row shows your word, the Shakespearean word and why it changed.
Copy it
Use it in a card, a class project or a script. For homework, read the limits below first.
Shakespeare Words and Rules
Shakespeare's English has a few patterns that do most of the work. The rewritten column is produced by the tool itself.
| Modern | Shakespeare style | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|
| you are | thou art | Thou art: thou is the familiar you; it changes the verb. |
| are you | art thou | In questions the verb comes first: art thou. |
| I love you | I love thee | As an object, you becomes thee. |
| your heart | thy heart | Thy before a consonant sound. |
| your eyes | thine eyes | Thine before a vowel sound. |
| do you know | dost thou know | Dost thou: the helper verb takes -st. |
| you know | thou knowest | Main verbs add -est: thou knowest. |
| he has | he hath | Hath, the third-person form of have. |
| she does | she doth | Doth, from does. |
| it is over | 'tis o'er | 'Tis and o'er: the plays shorten words to fit the verse. |
| never | ne'er | Ne'er, another stage contraction. |
| I think it | Methinks it | Methinks: it seems to me. |
| why | wherefore | Wherefore means why. Juliet asks why he is Romeo, not where. |
| good morning | good morrow | Good morrow was a greeting at any time of day. |
| goodbye | adieu | Adieu, borrowed from French. |
| please | prithee | Prithee, from “I pray thee”. |
| listen | hark | Hark at the start of a line. |
| maybe | perchance | Perchance. |
| money | ducats | Ducats, the coins in The Merchant of Venice. |
| you jerk | thou knave | Knave, a favourite insult in the plays. |
| oh no | alas | Alas. |
| hurry up | hie thee | Hie thee: hurry. |
Shakespeare Translator Examples
Each example below was produced by this tool. Tap Try this to load it into the box above.
- Why are you so sad tonight?Wherefore art thou so heavy tonight?Changed: Why → Wherefore, are → art, you → thou, sad → heavy
- Listen to me, I swear I will never leave you.Hark to me, by my troth I shall ne'er depart thee.Changed: Listen → Hark, I swear → by my troth, will → shall, never → ne'er and more
- Do you know where the king went?Dost thou know where the liege went?Changed: Do → Dost, you → thou, king → liege
- Please wait for me, my dear friend.Prithee tarry for me, my sweet friend.Changed: Please → Prithee, wait → tarry, dear friend → sweet friend
- Oh no, it is over between us.Alas, 'tis o'er betwixt us.Changed: Oh no → Alas, it is → 'tis, over → o'er, between → betwixt
- You are a liar and a coward.Thou art a false knave and a craven.Changed: You → Thou, are → art, liar → false knave, coward → craven
Lines from the Plays
Real lines to compare with the tool's output. All are in the public domain; links go to the full texts on Project Gutenberg.
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2. Full text
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Sonnet 18. Full text
Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.
Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2. Full text
’Tis now the very witching time of night
Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2. Full text
Is This Real Shakespearean English?
It is a style, not a reconstruction. Shakespeare chose between thou and you on purpose: thou could be warm, rude or intimate, and you was polite. The tool uses thou for every single “you”, so it cannot carry those shades.
It also keeps your word order and does not write in verse. Read the result aloud: if a line sounds odd, change a word or two. For an essay about the plays, quote the text itself rather than the tool's output.
Who the Shakespeare Translator Is For
- Students who want to see how thou, thee and -eth fit together before reading a play.
- Card and speech writers adding a Shakespearean flourish to a birthday card, a toast or a wedding speech.
- Drama groups and game masters drafting lines for a scene or a character.
Other Style Translators
Historical English
Older English, from Chaucer's spelling to Shakespeare's thou and thee to a Victorian letter.
- Old English TranslatorHail, good friend, art thou coming home ere eventide?
- Shakespeare TranslatorGood morrow, good friend, thou art ever welcome here.
- Middle English TranslatorMy freend, the knyght rood hoom thurgh the nyght.
- Victorian TranslatorGood day, I am much obliged to you for the lovely soirée.
Runes
English letters written in rune alphabets, one letter at a time.
- Rune Translatorᚺᛖᛚᛚᛟ ᛗᛃ ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ
Slang, Dialects and Tone
Everyday slang, regional speech and the formal or silly way of saying the same thing.
- Gen Z TranslatorNgl, my new fit is lowkey fire.
- Southern Accent TranslatorHey y'all, mama is makin' supper.
- Cowboy TranslatorHowdy partner, I reckon the trail is long.
- Slang TranslatorMy ride is busted, so I have no dough.
- Formal English TranslatorHello, are you available tomorrow? Thank you very much.
- Caveman TranslatorMe big hungry and me want food.
Shakespeare Translator FAQ
What is the difference between thou and you?
Thou was the familiar or singular you, used with friends, family, children and sometimes to insult. You was the polite form and the plural. This tool uses thou and thee for every “you”, so add the nuance yourself.
What does wherefore mean?
Wherefore means why. In “wherefore art thou Romeo?” Juliet asks why he has to be a Montague, not where he is.
Can I use this for homework?
Use it to see the patterns, not as a source. Teachers usually want real quotations from the plays, which you can find in the full texts linked above.
Does it write in iambic pentameter?
No. It swaps words and verb endings and keeps your word order and line length. Verse is up to you.
Is it the same as Old English?
No. Shakespeare wrote Early Modern English. Old English is much older and needs study to read. Our Old English translator page explains the difference.
Key Points
- The Shakespeare translator rewrites modern English with thou, thee, -est, -eth, contractions and words from the plays.
- Every change is listed with the rule behind it.
- It keeps your word order and does not write verse.
- Shakespeare wrote Early Modern English, not Old English.