Goal: learn to talk with each other: the gender of words and the articles, pronouns, greetings, the times of day and simple questions and answers.
Gender and articles
In English “the” stands before the word; Coptic also puts a small word in front. Like German or Arabic, every thing has a gender: a word is either masculine or feminine, and you have to learn it with each word.
- Strong articles, when you point out one particular thing: masculine ⲡⲓ, feminine ϯ (ⲡⲓⲓⲱⲧ, that very father).
- Weak articles, for things that are general or known to everyone: masculine ⲡ̀, feminine ⲧ̀.
- The special club Ⲃ Ⲓ Ⲗ Ⲙ Ⲛ Ⲟ Ⲣ (“VILMNOR”): if the word begins with one of these letters, ⲡ̀ becomes ⲫ̀ and ⲧ̀ becomes ⲑ̀, to make it easier to say: ⲫ̀ⲓⲱⲧ (God the Father), ⲑ̀ⲙⲁⲩ (the Virgin Mary).
- Plural, for both genders: ⲛⲓ.
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ⲡⲓⲓⲱⲧ | the father (strong, masculine) |
| ϯϣⲉⲣⲓ | the daughter (strong, feminine) |
| ⲡ̀ϣⲏⲣⲓ | the son (weak, masculine) |
| ⲫ̀ⲓⲱⲧ | the Father (ⲡ̀ → ⲫ̀ before ⲓ) |
| ⲑ̀ⲙⲁⲩ | the Mother (ⲧ̀ → ⲑ̀ before ⲙ) |
| ⲛⲓⲥⲫⲟⲧⲟⲩ | the lips (plural) |
ActivityMedium
Choose the article
Fill in the gap with the right article.
the brother (strong)
___ⲥⲟⲛ
the sister (strong)
___ⲥⲱⲛⲓ
the son (weak)
___ϣⲏⲣⲓ
the Father (weak)
___ⲓⲱⲧ
ⲓ is one of Ⲃ Ⲓ Ⲗ Ⲙ Ⲛ Ⲟ Ⲣ, so ⲡ̀ becomes ⲫ̀.
the Mother (weak)
___ⲙⲁⲩ
ⲙ is one of Ⲃ Ⲓ Ⲗ Ⲙ Ⲛ Ⲟ Ⲣ, so ⲧ̀ becomes ⲑ̀.
God (weak)
___ⲛⲟⲩϯ
ⲛ is one of Ⲃ Ⲓ Ⲗ Ⲙ Ⲛ Ⲟ Ⲣ, so ⲡ̀ becomes ⲫ̀.
the Lord (weak)
___ϭⲟⲓⲥ
Pronouns
In the singular “you” has a masculine and a feminine form; in the plural the form is the same for both.
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲕ | I |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲟⲕ | you (to a man) |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲟ | you (to a woman) |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲟϥ | he |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲟⲥ | she |
| ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲛ | we |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ | you (plural) |
| ⲛ̀ⲑⲱⲟⲩ | they |
ActivityEasy
Pronouns
Match each pronoun with its meaning.
Choose an answer for every row first.
Greetings and the times of day
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ | hello (joy, gladness) |
| Ⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ | hello (love) |
| Ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ | goodbye (be well) |
| Ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ Ⲡ̀ϭⲟⲓⲥ | goodbye in the Lord |
| Ϯϣⲉⲡ̀ϩⲙⲟⲧ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲧⲕ | thank you (to a man) |
| Ϯϣⲉⲡ̀ϩⲙⲟⲧ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲧ | thank you (to a woman) |
Ⲛⲁⲛⲉ means “good”. Put it before a time of day:
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ⲁ̀ⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ | morning |
| ⲉ̀ϩⲟⲟⲩ | day |
| ⲣⲟⲩϩⲓ | evening |
| ⲉ̀ϫⲱⲣϩ | night |
| Ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲁ̀ⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ | good morning |
| Ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲉ̀ϩⲟⲟⲩ | good day |
| Ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲉ̀ⲣⲟⲩϩⲓ | good evening |
| Ⲛⲁⲛⲉ ⲉ̀ϫⲱⲣϩ | good night |
ActivityEasy
Greetings and the day
Match each phrase with its meaning.
Choose an answer for every row first.
Simple questions and answers
The question changes with the person you talk to: ⲡⲉⲕ- (to a man), ⲡⲉ- (to a woman), ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛ- (to a group). In the answer ⲡⲁ- means “my” and ⲡⲉⲛ- “our”. Ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ and ⲛⲉ (“is, are”) follow the gender: ⲡⲉ masculine, ⲧⲉ feminine, ⲛⲉ plural.
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ? | What is your name? (to a man) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲣⲁⲛ? | What is your name? (to a woman) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛⲣⲁⲛ? | What are your names? (to a group) |
| Ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ Ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ | My name is Joseph |
| Ⲡⲉⲛⲣⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ Ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ ⲛⲉⲙ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ | Our names are Joseph and Mary |
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲏϯ? | How are you? (to a man) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲣⲏϯ? | How are you? (to a woman) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲛⲣⲏϯ? | How are you? (to a group) |
| Ϯⲟⲩⲟϫ | I am well |
| Ϯⲟⲕⲉⲙ | I am not well |
| Ⲛ̀ⲑⲟⲕ ⲛⲓⲙ? | Who are you? (to a man) |
| Ⲛ̀ⲑⲟ ⲛⲓⲙ? | Who are you? (to a woman) |
| Ⲛ̀ⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ? | Who are you? (to a group) |
| Ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ Ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ | I am Joseph |
| Ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲕ ⲧⲉ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ | I am Mary |
| Ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ Ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ ⲛⲉⲙ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ | We are Joseph and Mary |
When you point at something, the words follow its grammatical gender:
| Coptic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲁⲓ? | What is this? (masculine) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲧⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ? | What is this? (feminine) |
| Ⲁϣ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ? | What are these? (plural) |
| Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ | This is the earth |
| Ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧ̀ⲫⲉ | This is the sky |
| Ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓⲥⲓⲟⲩ | These are the stars |
ActivityMedium
Questions and answers
Choose the right question or answer.
Ask a woman what her name is.
Ask a man how he is.
Ask a group who they are.
Answer: you are well.
Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲏϯ?
Answer as Mary.
Ⲛ̀ⲑⲟ ⲛⲓⲙ?
Mary is a woman, so ⲧⲉ.
Choose the answer (feminine).
Ⲁϣ ⲧⲉ ⲑⲁⲓ?