student asking question

Can I say "don't fear" instead of "fear not"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, "fear not" has the same meaning as "don't have fear" or "don't be afraid". However, "fear not" is an older expression and it is not common to use in modern English. "Fear not" in this case is being quoted from the bible which has been translated here from Greek. So you can say "don't fear" here, although "don't fear" is not grammatically correct, so instead it should be "don't be afraid."

Popular Q&As

03/24

Complete the expression with a quiz!