An old, dead form of the verb *be*: it means "(you) were", used only with the old singular *thou*. So "thou wert" = "you were".

An old, dead form of the verb be這是動詞be一個古老、已經死去的形式: it means "(you) were"意思是「你當時是」, used only with the old singular thou只跟古老的單數第二人稱thou搭配使用。So "thou wert" = "you were"所以「thou wert」等於「you were」。

You will meet it in the King James Bible, in Shakespeare, in old hymns and old poems — never in real speech, and never in anything written today unless the writer is copying an old style on purpose.

You will meet it in the King James Bible你會在欽定本聖經裡遇到它, in Shakespeare在莎士比亞的作品裡, in old hymns and old poems在古老的聖歌和詩裡 — never in real speech在真實的口語裡完全不會出現, and never in anything written today unless the writer is copying an old style on purpose在今天寫的東西裡也不會出現，除非作者是故意模仿古老的文體。

A little history helps here: English used to have two words for "you". *Thou* was for one person you were close to or above; *you* was for several people, or for one person you had to be polite to. Each had its own verb ending, and *wert* was the past of *be* that went with *thou*. English later dropped *thou* and used *you* for everybody, and when *thou* went, *wert* went with it.

A little history helps here這裡有點歷史背景會有幫助: English used to have two words for "you"英文以前有兩個字可以講「你」。Thou was for one person you were close to or above thou是用在你親近或地位高於他的單一對象身上; you was for several people, or for one person you had to be polite to而you是用在好幾個人，或是你得對他客氣的單一對象身上。Each had its own verb ending每一個都有自己搭配的動詞變化, and wert was the past of be that went with thou而wert就是跟thou搭配的be動詞過去式。English later dropped thou and used you for everybody英文後來捨棄了thou，改用you來稱呼所有人, and when thou went, wert went with it當thou消失時，wert也跟著一起消失了。

Two small notes. Older writers also used *wast* for the same job ("thou wast"), and the two sat side by side for a long time; roughly, *wert* was more common where the meaning was "if you were" or "I wish you were", but writers were not consistent, so do not trust a neat rule here. And *wert* is also the modern German word for "value" (as in *Wert*), which is a different word entirely — a spelling accident, not a family link.

Two small notes兩個小提醒。Older writers also used wast for the same job古時候的作家也會用wast做同樣的事（「thou wast」）, and the two sat side by side for a long time而這兩個字並存了很長一段時間; roughly大致上, wert was more common where the meaning was "if you were" or "I wish you were"wert比較常用在「如果你是」或「我希望你是」這種意思裡, but writers were not consistent不過作家們用法並不一致, so do not trust a neat rule here所以這裡不要相信有什麼整齊的規則。And wert is also the modern German word for "value"而wert也剛好是現代德文裡「價值」的意思（拼作Wert）, which is a different word entirely這完全是另一個字, a spelling accident, not a family link只是拼字上的巧合，不是同一個字的家族。

For your own English, this is a reading word, not a writing word: recognise it, then move on.

For your own English對你自己的英文來說, this is a reading word, not a writing word這是一個用來「讀懂」的字，不是用來「寫」的字: recognise it, then move on認得它就好，然後繼續往下讀。