Dost and doth are older present-tense forms of do. They do the same kind of work, but they agree with different grammatical persons. The choice depends on the subject—not on whether the sentence sounds formal, poetic, or dramatic.
Dost and doth at a glance
| Form | Subject | Modern equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dost | Thou | Do | Thou dost remember. |
| Doth | He, she, it, a name, or singular noun | Does | The king doth remember. |
| Do | I, you, we, or they | Do | They do remember. |
A quick substitution test solves most cases. If the modern sentence uses do you and you are replacing singular you with thou, choose dost. If it uses does he, does she, or does it, choose doth.
Use Dost with Thou: What Does “Dost Thou” Mean?
“Dost thou” means “do you” in older English. “Dost” is the second-person singular present form of “do” used with “thou,” the older singular form of “you.”
For example, “Dost thou know?” means “Do you know?”
In statements, the order changes: “Thou dost know” means “You do know.”
Dost is the second-person singular present form of do. It belongs with thou, the older subject form used when addressing one person.
Statement: Thou dost speak the truth.
Question: Dost thou speak the truth?
Negative: Thou dost not speak the truth.
Main verb: Thou dost well to be cautious.
| Older English | Modern English |
|---|---|
| Dost thou know? | Do you know? |
| Why dost thou wait? | Why do you wait? |
| What dost thou mean? | What do you mean? |
| Thou dost remember. | You do remember. |
Thee is an object form, so it does not serve as the subject of dost. Write Dost thou hear me?, not Dost thee hear me? For the full pronoun pattern, see Thou vs. Thee.
For a common phrase using this pattern, see How Dost Thou Fare?, including its meaning and natural replies.
Use doth with he, she, it, or a singular noun
Doth is the third-person singular present form of do. It agrees with the same subjects that take modern does.
He: He doth keep his word.
She: Doth she know the way?
It: The bell is cracked, yet it doth ring.
Name or noun: Lady Anne doth await your answer. The river doth rise.
Do not use doth merely because a sentence contains an old-fashioned noun. The subject still controls the verb: the knight doth ride, but the knights do ride.
Keep the next verb in its plain form
When dost or doth acts as an auxiliary, it carries the person and tense. The following main verb therefore stays plain. This is the same pattern used in modern does she know?, where English does not say does she knows?
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dost thou knowest? | Dost thou know? | Dost already marks the verb phrase. |
| Thou dost speakest. | Thou dost speak. | Speak stays in the plain form. |
| She doth knoweth. | She doth know. | Doth already marks third-person singular. |
| Doth the guard hears? | Doth the guard hear? | Hear follows the auxiliary unchanged. |
Questions, statements, and negatives
| Purpose | With thou | With a third-person subject |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Thou dost understand. | She doth understand. |
| Question | Dost thou understand? | Doth she understand? |
| Negative | Thou dost not understand. | She doth not understand. |
| Negative question | Dost thou not understand? | Doth she not understand? |
In present-day creative writing, these complete forms are clearer than contractions such as dostn’t or dothn’t. If your goal is a readable Shakespeare-inspired voice, keep the older verb but let the sentence structure remain easy to follow.
How Shakespeare uses both forms
Romeo and Juliet places the contrast almost side by side. Romeo asks Balthasar, “Dost thou not bring me letters from the Friar?” and then asks, “How doth my lady?” The first subject is thou, so Shakespeare uses dost; the second subject is my lady, so he uses doth.
Juliet likewise asks, “Dost thou love me?” and follows it with “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.” These show that dost can come before thou in a question or after it in a statement or conditional clause.
Six common mistakes
- Thou doth: write thou dost.
- He dost: write he doth.
- Dost thee: write dost thou, because the pronoun is the subject.
- Dost thou knowest: write dost thou know.
- They doth: write they do; doth is singular.
- Using both everywhere: dost and doth are grammatical forms, not general decorations for any old-world sentence.
A five-line practice check
Do you remember me? → Dost thou remember me?
Does the queen approve? → Doth the queen approve?
You do not understand. → Thou dost not understand.
Does it matter? → Doth it matter?
They do not agree. → They do not agree.
For the matching forms of have, read Hast vs. Hath. For more forms such as art, wilt, and canst, see the guide to thou and thee. For scene-ready examples, browse Medieval English Phrases or create a draft with the Shakespeare Translator.
Try a Shakespeare-inspired translation
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dost and doth?
Dost is the archaic second-person singular form of do and goes with thou. Doth is the archaic third-person singular form and goes with he, she, it, a name, or another singular noun.
What does “dost thou” mean?
“Dost thou” means “do you.” Dost is the older second-person singular form of “do,” and thou is the older singular subject form of “you.” For example, “Dost thou know?” means “Do you know?”
Is it thou dost or thou doth?
Write thou dost. The pronoun thou requires the second-person singular form dost, as in thou dost know or dost thou know.
Is it he dost or he doth?
Write he doth. He is a third-person singular subject, so it takes doth, as in he doth know or doth he know.
Do you write dost thou know or dost thou knowest?
Write dost thou know. When dost is the auxiliary verb, the following main verb stays in its plain form: know, love, speak, or understand.