Turn a text message into something worthy of the Globe, or paste a speech from Hamlet and read what it actually means in plain modern English. One box, both directions, free.
Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote in Early Modern English, the English of the King James Bible. It is basically our language, but with thou and thee for a close or familiar "you", verb endings like -est and -eth (thou dost, he hath), words that have shifted meaning, and a love of wordplay. It is not Old English - that is the Anglo-Saxon of Beowulf, centuries earlier. This translator turns modern English into convincing Shakespearean style, and decodes the plays back into plain English.
The words that make English sound Elizabethan, with a quick note on how each one works. Tap a row to copy it into the translator.
Plenty of "old timey English" generators just swap you for thou everywhere. translator.im follows the grammar, so the result reads like a page from the First Folio, not a joke shop sign.
In Shakespeare thou is familiar - for friends, lovers, children and insults - while you is polite or plural. The translator picks based on context, and conjugates the verb to match.
Thou dost, thou hast, thou wilt; he doth, she hath. Getting these right is what separates real Early Modern English from cosplay.
Swap the direction and paste a soliloquy or sonnet to get a clear modern paraphrase - ideal for homework and rehearsals.
Words like anon, ere, mayhap and wherefore appear naturally, alongside the imagery and flourishes of the plays.
Voice mode lets you say your line aloud in Chrome, Edge or Safari and turns the transcript into Shakespearean English. Then press Listen to hear it back.
Image mode reads printed text from a screenshot or a photo of your play edition, so you can translate a scene without retyping it.
English class, the stage, the party invitation - Shakespearean English has a lot of jobs.
Paste a line you are stuck on and get the plain meaning. Many readers assume Juliet is asking where Romeo is - she is asking why he has to be a Montague.
Birthday cards, group chats, wedding toasts and Valentine's notes all sound grander in Elizabethan English.
Actors and directors can lay a modern version beside the text to make sure every line is understood before it is spoken.
Tabletop campaigns, ren faires and fan fiction get bards, nobles and villains who sound the part.
Small touches that make the difference between Bard and bad.
Contrary to popular belief, thou is not the formal option - it is for friends, family, lovers, children and people you are insulting. Use you for strangers, superiors and groups.
Thou takes -st or -est (thou goest, thou canst), and he, she or it can take -th (he goeth, she hath). Never write "thou is" or "he doeth" - say "thou art" and "he doth".
One word turns into one word. A full sentence with feeling - an apology, a boast, a love note - gives the translator room for the rhythm and imagery that make it sound like the plays.
No account, no install. Write modern English for Shakespearean, or paste the Bard for plain English - free, forsooth.