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Glite Dictionary
canst

canst

9 9.9
To be able to when you use the old word thou in poetry or old English
  • auxiliary
  • Archaic
: puedes
  • If thou canst see the stars, the night is clear.

Examples

  • Tell me, friend, what canst thou offer in return?

  • Thou canst!

  • Only those who believe canst achieve the impossible.

  • Canst thou?

  • If thou canst see the stars, the night is clear.

  • Tell me, friend, what canst thou offer in return?

  • Canst thou canst lend me a hand with this task?

Antonyms

cannot
  • Archaic
9.9

A state of being unable to do something

Surface Forms

canst infinitive

Morphology

canst = can (semi-transparent) = can + st

Form is clearly 'can' plus the archaic second-person singular inflection '-st', but '-st' is an archaic grammatical ending not productive for modern learners.

Etymology

Canst is an old or poetic form of can used with the word 'thou'. It is made by adding the ending -st to can, so it means 'are able' when speaking to one person and is now only used in old writing or poetry.