How to Say “Soon” in Old English

By Leigh Randy • Updated October 3, 2026

sona

The English phrase "soon" is translated into Old English as sona.

sona is an adverb meaning "within a short time."

Meaning: within a short time (adv)

Did you know?

While 'soon' today often implies a vague future, the Old English sona carried a stronger sense of 'immediately' or 'at once'.
The Old English sona is closely related to the Gothic word suns, showing that the concept of 'soon' was shared across early Germanic tribes.
Because sona is an adverb, it avoided the complex system of gender and case endings that complicated most other Old English words.

Examples in context

Hē cymþ sōna.
He will come soon.
Ic bēo sōna eft hēr.
I will be back here soon.
Sōna wē faraþ.
We will leave soon.

Example conversation

Wulfrun and Æthelstan are discussing a journey.

Wulfrun

Hwanon cymst þū, Æthelstan?
Where are you coming from, Æthelstan?
Æthelstan

Ic cume sōna of þǣre byriġ.
I am coming soon from the city.
Wulfrun

Gōd, ic wille þē ġemētan.
Good, I will meet you.
Æthelstan

Sōna wē ūs ġemētaþ.
Soon we shall meet.

Sources

Word origins: Wiktionary entries sona, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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About The Author

Leigh Randy

Hwæt! As Leigh, I'm fervid about bringing Old English words back to life. I've devoted countless hours to pen guides for phrases like "Are you awake?" or "Be quiet" in Old English. You could say, I'm a real enta geweorc, a work of art, in breaking down the barriers of this ancient language. When I'm not immersed in language, you'll catch me delighting in dragon tales, sipping a cup of coffee, or perhaps simply appreciating the allure of a hawk soaring. Let's embolden our speech together! Bring us, gelimpan, good luck, on this journey into our linguistic past.

Leigh RandyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.

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