thy

"Thy" isn't something you'll hear in everyday conversation today. It's an old-fashioned way to say "your" when speaking to one person. It is the possessive form of the pronoun "thou." You'll mostly see it in Shakespeare, the King James Bible, prayers, or older poetry. For example, in the phrase "thy kingdom come," the speaker means "your kingdom come." Today it sounds very formal, religious, or poetic, but long ago it was a normal way to speak to one person, often someone close to you. You wouldn't say "Thy car is nice" today; you'd simply say "Your car is nice."

"Thy" is the second-person singular possessive adjective in Early Modern English, meaning "your." It is paired with the archaic pronoun "thou," which was used to address a single person—often someone close to the speaker, like a friend or family member. Over time, English shifted to "you" and "your" for both singular and plural address, and forms like "thou" and "thy" fell out of everyday use.

Think of it this way: just as "my" is the possessive form of "I," "thy" is the possessive form of "thou." If you were living in the 1600s, you might tell a friend, "I have thy book," whereas today you would say, "I have your book." It is also worth noting that "thy" was typically used before words starting with a consonant sound (like "thy heart"), while "thine" was often used before vowel sounds (like "thine eyes").

You'll primarily encounter "thy" in older literature—Shakespearean plays, religious texts like the King James Bible, prayers, hymns, and classic poetry.

Using "thy" today would sound deliberately theatrical, historical, or prayerful. It is a linguistic relic and a reminder of how English has evolved. While you won't use it in a business meeting or at the grocery store, recognizing "thy" helps you understand the rhythm and feeling of many famous older texts.