Attested text
10
Wording located in a named work
Each attested entry names the work and locus. It may still use normalized spelling for learning and search.
Say it with context
Old English Phrases
Search and copy 102 Old English expressions across 10 situations. Every entry identifies whether it is an attested text, an adapted form, or a modern learning construction.
Searchable phrasebook
Find the expression, then read its usage note
Search by Modern English meaning, Old English wording, situation, or evidence level. Similar-looking entries may address a different number of people, so copy the form that fits the context.
102 phrases
Status labels distinguish historical text from teaching constructions
- Adapted formgeneral use
Welcome
Wilcume
- Literal sense
- Welcome
- Context
- A compact normalized welcome. Treat it as a useful teaching form, not a claim about one fixed historical greeting ritual.
- Adapted formone person
Hello / be well
Wes þū hāl
- Literal sense
- Be you whole / healthy
- Context
- A greeting or leave-taking wish to one person. The construction is historically grounded, though this normalized standalone form is adapted.
- Beowulf
- line 407; compare line 658. The poem supplies forms of the wes þū hāl greeting pattern.
- Adapted formmore than one
Hello / be well
Wesaþ ġē hāle
- Literal sense
- Be you all whole / healthy
- Context
- The plural counterpart of wes þū hāl; use it when addressing more than one person.
- Learning constructiongeneral use
Good morning
Gōdne morgen
- Literal sense
- A good morning
- Context
- A convenient modern teaching equivalent. It should not be presented as a securely attested everyday salutation.
- Learning constructiongeneral use
Good evening
Gōdne ǣfen
- Literal sense
- A good evening
- Context
- A concise teaching expression built from ordinary Old English words.
- Learning constructiongeneral use
Good night
Gōde niht
- Literal sense
- A good night
- Context
- A conventional learner rendering for a night-time farewell, not a verified fixed formula.
- Learning constructionone person
Farewell
Far þū wel
- Literal sense
- Travel / fare well
- Context
- A transparent leave-taking wish addressed to one person.
- Learning constructionmore than one
Farewell
Faraþ ġē wel
- Literal sense
- Travel / fare well, you all
- Context
- The plural counterpart of far þū wel.
- Adapted formone person
God be with you
God sīe mid þē
- Literal sense
- May God be with you
- Context
- A period-appropriate blessing in normalized spelling, addressed to one person.
- Adapted formmore than one
God be with you
God sīe mid ēow
- Literal sense
- May God be with you all
- Context
- The plural version of the blessing; ēow marks a plural audience.
- Learning constructionone person
What is your name?
Hwæt is þīn nama?
- Literal sense
- What is your name?
- Context
- A clear learner-friendly question. Old English texts do not establish it as routine small talk.
- Adapted formone person
What are you called?
Hū hāttest þū?
- Literal sense
- How are you called?
- Context
- Uses the old mediopassive form of hātan. Do not replace hāttest with active hātest, which means “you call.”
- Learning constructionnot addressed
My name is …
Mīn nama is …
- Literal sense
- My name is …
- Context
- Replace the ellipsis with a personal name.
- Adapted formnot addressed
I am called …
Iċ hātte …
- Literal sense
- I am called …
- Context
- An archaic but genuine Old English way to state a name; add the name after hātte.
- Learning constructionone person
Who are you?
Hwā eart þū?
- Literal sense
- Who are you?
- Context
- A direct identity question to one person.
- Learning constructionnot addressed
I am …
Iċ eom …
- Literal sense
- I am …
- Context
- Complete the sentence with an appropriate nominative noun or adjective.
- Learning constructionone person
Where do you come from?
Hwanan cymst þū?
- Literal sense
- From where do you come?
- Context
- A grammatically explicit singular question; it is a teaching construction rather than a quoted phrase.
- Learning constructionnot addressed
I am from …
Iċ eom of …
- Literal sense
- I am from …
- Context
- Add a place name in a form suitable after the preposition of.
Why there is more than one form
“You” can be singular, dual, or plural
Modern English normally uses the same pronoun for one person and a group. Old English keeps more distinctions, and verbs or adjectives may change with them.
Greeting one person
Wes hāl
Literally a wish to “be whole” or “be healthy.” The plural greeting uses a different verb form: Wesaþ hāle.
- þū / þē
one person
The form changes with grammatical case, just as I changes to me in Modern English.
- ġit / inc
exactly two people
Old English preserves a dual number in its first- and second-person pronouns.
- ġē / ēow
a plural group
Use a plural verb or greeting form when addressing the group.
Editorial method
Historical quotation and learning construction are not the same
Old English survives in manuscripts, not recorded everyday speech. This phrasebook labels each entry by evidence instead of presenting every modern learning sentence as a fixed Anglo-Saxon formula. Use the English to Old English translator when you need to preserve a specific meaning rather than select a stock phrase.
16
Adapted forms
Normalized or shortened forms grounded in an attested construction, but not presented as direct quotations.
76
Learning constructions
Modern teaching sentences built from documented vocabulary and grammar. They are not claims about recorded daily speech.
Phrase references
Compare common expressions with established language resources
Short historical expressions are most useful when their audience and grammatical form stay attached.
- Useful phrases in Old English - Omniglot
A broad phrase collection that distinguishes singular, dual, plural, formal, and informal forms where relevant.
- Old English phrasebook - Wiktionary
A community-maintained reference for common words and conversational phrases, with pronunciation and usage notes.
- Old English Online
A structured learning resource for alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and reading practice.
Questions people ask
Old English phrase questions
How do you say hello in Old English?
Wes þū hāl is a historically grounded greeting or leave-taking wish to one person. Wesaþ hāle addresses more than one person.
Are these recorded Anglo-Saxon conversations?
No. Entries marked Attested text are located in named works. Adapted forms and learning constructions are clearly labeled so modern teaching sentences are not mistaken for direct historical quotations.
Why are there singular and plural versions?
Old English distinguishes number in pronouns, verbs, and some adjective forms. The wording can change depending on whether one person, exactly two people, or a larger group is addressed.
Can I translate a phrase that is not listed?
Yes. Use the English to Old English translator for a complete sentence, then check key words in the dictionary and compare the output with the context notes on this page.
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