Methinks is an old way of saying 'it seems to me', which learner books often gloss as 'I think'. That gloss is fair for how people use it now — as a joke, or as a bit of Shakespeare.

Methinksmethinks is an old way of saying 'it seems to me'是古時候說「在我看來」的說法, which learner books often gloss as 'I think'學習用的書常常把它翻成「我想」。That gloss is fair for how people use it now這個翻法對現在人用它的方式來說算公平 — as a joke, or as a bit of Shakespeare當成開玩笑，或帶點莎士比亞味道時。

The messy truth is kinder to remember: it is not I plus think. In Old English the verb was þyncan, 'to seem', and me was 'to me', like the me in show me. So the whole thing meant 'it seems to me'. English had another verb, þencan, which became our ordinary think; the two later looked the same, which is why the line 'I think' feels right and is still a little wrong.

The messy truth is kinder to remember比較麻煩但值得記住的真相是: it is not I plus think它不是I加think組成的。In Old English the verb was þyncan, 'to seem'古英文裡那個動詞是þyncan，意思是「seem」（似乎）, and me was 'to me'而me是「to me」（對我來說）, like the me in show me就像show me裡的me一樣。So the whole thing meant 'it seems to me'所以整句原本的意思就是「it seems to me」。English had another verb, þencan英文還有另一個動詞þencan, which became our ordinary think後來變成我們現在普通的think; the two later looked the same這兩個字後來看起來變得一樣, which is why the line 'I think' feels right and is still a little wrong這就是為什麼「I think」這個說法聽起來對，卻還是有點不對的原因。

You will meet methinks in plays and in teasing: someone putting on an old-fashioned voice. Nobody says it in a shop.

You will meet methinks你會在 in plays and in teasing戲劇裡，還有開玩笑時遇到methinks: someone putting on an old-fashioned voice某個人裝出一種老派的口吻。Nobody says it in a shop沒有人會在店裡這樣說話。

There is a past form, methought, 'it seemed to me'.

There is a past form還有一個過去式形式, methoughtmethought, 'it seemed to me'意思是「it seemed to me」。

Though actually, if a student writes methinks in a school essay, the teacher will think they are being cute, not careful.

Though actually不過其實, if a student writes methinks in a school essay如果學生在學校作文裡寫methinks, the teacher will think they are being cute, not careful老師會覺得他們是在耍可愛，而不是用心寫作。