hath

Meaning

1. 1verbtransitivearchaic

   Old-fashioned third-person singular present of 'have', used in older or biblical English.

   Grammar: Used like 'has' but only in archaic texts; takes an object: He hath a dream.

   Patterns

   • he/she/it hath something
   • thou hast
   • hath been

   In the old poem, the king hath a golden crown.

   The Bible often uses 'hath' where modern English uses 'has'.

   She hath no fear of the dark forest.

Common combinations

hath been

The old text says, 'It hath been many years.'

hath no

He hath no money to pay the debt.

hath spoken

The prophet hath spoken.

Synonyms and how they differ

has

Has is the modern third-person singular form; hath is only used in archaic or religious contexts.

hast

Hast is the archaic form used with 'thou' (you singular), while hath is used with he, she, or it.

Word family

have verb

The modern base form, meaning to possess or experience.

has verb

The modern third-person singular present form of 'have'.

hast verb

Archaic second-person singular present of 'have', used with 'thou'.

Commonly confused: hath or hath?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hath”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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