Word
thee
US/ˈði/
UK/ðˈiː/
Definition
pron. an old-fashioned way to say 'you'. It is used when 'you' is the object of a sentence, like when someone gives something to you.
pron. the objective case of the second-person singular pronoun 'thou'. Archaic or literary in register; still used in some regional dialects and religious contexts.
Examples
“I give this gift to thee.”
“The poet wrote a beautiful sonnet expressing how much he cherished the time spent with thee.”
“In many traditional hymns and classical literary works, the speaker addresses the divine or a beloved using thee to signify a specific level of intimacy or reverence.”
Examples
simple
“I give this gift to thee.”
contextual
“The poet wrote a beautiful sonnet expressing how much he cherished the time spent with thee.”
complex
“In many traditional hymns and classical literary works, the speaker addresses the divine or a beloved using thee to signify a specific level of intimacy or reverence.”
Usage
Functions as the object of a verb or preposition, corresponding to the modern 'you'.
Pitfall
Thee are my friend
Thou art my friend
Thee is the object form; thou is the subject form used before a verb.
Real-World Examples
“The poem ends with a blessing: ‘all seasons shall be sweet to thee.’
A man becomes a father and a poetic revolution follows.” “As Nephi declared: “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.” “In his poem about the nautilus, Oliver Wendell Holmes put it like this : “Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul … Leave thy low-vaulted past!” Etymology
From Middle English þe, from Old English þē (“thee”, originally dative, but later also accusative, supplanting accusative þec), from Proto-Germanic þiz (“thee”), from Proto-Indo-European te (“second-person singular pronoun”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“thee”), West Frisian dy (“thee”), German Low German di (“thee”), German dir (“thee”, dative pron.), Icelandic þér (“thee”). More at thou.
From Middle English theen (“to increase, prosper, flourish”), from Old English þēon (“to thrive, prosper, flourish, grow”), from Proto-Germanic þinhaną (“to thrive, succeed”), from Proto-Indo-European tenk- (“to succeed, turn out well”). Cognate with Dutch gedijen (“to flourish, thrive, prosper, succeed”), German gedeihen (“to thrive”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (gaþeihan, “to increase, thrive”).
From Pitman zee, which it is related to phonetically and graphically, and the sound it represents.
Respelling of the popularized by Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. fare thee well
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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