Useful phrases in Old English

A collection of useful phrases in Old English, the version of English that was spoken in England from about the 5th to the 11th century.

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See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

English	Ænglisc (Old English)
Welcome	Welcumen
Hello (General greeting)	Wes hāl (sg) Wesaþ hāle (pl) Wesaþ hāla (pl/f)
How are you?	Hú meaht þú? Hu eart þú?
Reply to 'How are you?'	Ic mæg wel Ic mæg tela Wel, þancung, and þú?
Long time no see	Lang fierst ne beseah Lang tīd ne beseah
What's your name?	Hwæt hātest þū?
My name is ...	Ic hāte ...
Where are you from?	Hwanan cymst þū? Hwiðer eart þū fram?
I'm from ...	Ic cume of ...
Pleased to meet you	Mé lícaþ þé tó métanne (sg) Mé lícaþ éow tó métanne (pl)
Good morning (Morning greeting)	Gōdne mergen
Good evening (Evening greeting)	Gōdne ǣfen
Good night	Gōde nihte
Goodbye (Parting phrases)	Far gesund (sg) Faraþ gesunde (pl) Faraþ gesunda (pl/f) Wes Hāl (sg) Wesaþ hāle (pl) Wesaþ hāla (pl/f) Wes þū hāl God þē mid sīe ("God be with you")
Good luck!	Gōd wyrd Gōde wyrde
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	Gōd hælo!
Have a nice day	Hafa gōdne dæg! (sg) Habbaþ gōdne dæg (pl)
Bon appetit / Have a nice meal	Gōd metesōcn
Bon voyage / Have a good journey	Gōd fōr
I understand	Ic æt undergiete
I don't understand	Ic þæt ne undergiete
Yes	Gea; Giese
No	Nese Ne Na
Maybe	Gewene
I know	Ic wāt
I don't know	Ic nāt
Please speak more slowly	Ic bidde þe mara slawlice to sprecanne
Please say that again	Ic bidde þē þæt to eftgianne
Please write it down	Ic bidde þē hit to āwrītanne
Do you speak Old English?	Sprece þū Englisc? Sprecest þū Englisc?
Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?')	Gea, fea Gea, lytel
Speak to me in Old English	Sprec tō mē on Englice
How do you say ... in Old English?	Hū sægest þū ... in Ænglisc?
Excuse me	Forgiefe mec
How much is this?	Hū miccle þās is? Hwæt ys se cēap þisses?
Sorry	Sārig
Please	Bidde Ic bidde þe Ic bidde eow
Thank you	Ic þancie þē
Reply to thank you	Welcumen
Where's the toilet / bathroom?	Hwǣr is þæt gangern? Hwǣr is se gangstōl?
This gentleman will pay for everything	Se wer sceal ealum gieldan Se hlāford sceal ealum gieldan
This lady will pay for everything	Sēo hlǣfdīge sceal ealum gieldan
Would you like to dance with me?	Wilt þū mid mē sealtian?
I miss you	Ic langie þē (sg) Ic langie ēow (pl)
I love you	Ic lufie þē
Get well soon	Bēo gesund hraðe
Go away!	Aweggā! Gā onweg!
Leave me alone!	Forlǣte mec!
Help!	Helpe!
Fire!	Fȳr!
Stop!	Ōþstand! Ōþstandaþ!
Call the police!	Cīg þǣm weardum!
Christmas greetings	Blīþe Crīstes mæsse Blīþe Gēol
New Year greetings	Glæd Nīwe Gēar Gesǣlig Nīwe Gēar
Easter greetings	Gesǣlig Eastordæg
Birthday greetings	Gesǣlig Gebyrddæg
One language is never enough	Ān geþēode is nǣfre genōg Ān Spræc is nǣfre genōg
My hovercraft is full of eels	Mīn wandrian-scyf ful ǣlen is Mīn lyfthærnflota is ful ǣla

Phrase supplied by Matthew Leigh Embleton, with corrections and additions by T. Patrick Snyder

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Old English | Phrases | Tower of Babel | Books and learning materials

Links

Other collections of Old English phrases
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Old_English/Phrases
http://speaksaxon.blogspot.co.uk
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Old_English_phrasebook#Old English
https://babblelingua.com/useful-phrases-in-old-english/

Phrases in Germanic languages

Afrikaans, Alsatian, American Norwegian, Bavarian, Cimbrian, Danish, Dutch, Elfdalian, English (British), Faroese, Flemish (West), Frisian (North - Bökingharde), Frisian (North - Sylt), Frisian (Saterland), Frisian (West), German, Gothic, Icelandic, Limburgish, Low Saxon, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Old English, Pennsylvania German/Dutch, Scots, Stellingwarfs, Swedish, Swiss German (Basel dialect), Swiss German (Chur dialect), Swiss German (Lucerne dialect), Värmlandic, Westrobothnian, Westrobothnian (Piteå), Yiddish

Phrases in other languages

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