# Lesson 2: Nominal Tripartite Sentences (Indefinite Predicate)

##### Indefinite Predicate Sentences

There are two forms of nominal tripartite sentences when the object is indefinite. These forms are translated to English in the same way as the ones with a definite object.

The forms are:  
**<Definite Subject> <Indefinite Object> <Copula>**

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-%3Cdefinite-subject%3E-%3C" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 208.578px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">**&lt;Definite Subject&gt;**</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">**&lt;Indefinite Object&gt;**</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">**ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ**</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">**Translation**</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">my father is a man</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲁⲛⲟⲕ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">I am a man</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲁⲛⲟⲕ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲧⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%; height: 29.7969px;">I am a woman</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲟⲩⲙⲁⲩ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲧⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">She is a mother</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲛⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">They are women</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">He is a teacher</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">This man is a physician</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲟⲩⲥⲏⲓⲛⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">My brother is a physician</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲟⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9691%;">My father is a presbyter (priest)</td></tr></tbody></table>

**&lt;Indefinite Object&gt; &lt;Copula&gt; &lt;Definite Subject&gt;**

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-%3Cindefinite-object%3E--0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 208.578px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">**&lt;Indefinite Object&gt;**</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">**ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ**</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">**&lt;Definite Subject&gt;**</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">**Translation**</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲉ </td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">my father is a man</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲁⲛⲟⲕ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">I am a man</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲧⲉ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">ⲁⲛⲟⲕ</td><td style="width: 24.9663%; height: 29.7969px;">I am a woman</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Application

##### Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from

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</td><td style="width: 48.7027%;">  
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1. 

##### Application 2: 

This is an excerpt from

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-%CC%80%E2%B2%9B%E2%B2%91%E2%B2%9F%E2%B2%95-%E2%B2%85%E2%B2%81%E2%B2%A3-%E2%B2%A1%E2%B2%89-%E2%B2%AB%E2%B2%9B%E2%B2%9F%E2%B2%A9%CF%AF-%E2%B2%A1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 51.2973%;">  
</td><td style="width: 48.7027%;">  
</td></tr></tbody></table>

##### Biblical Examples

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-%E2%B2%A7%E2%B2%89%CF%A5%CF%A9%E2%B2%89%E2%B2%83%E2%B2%A5%E2%B2%B1-%E2%B2%9F%E2%B2%A9%CC%80%E2%B2%89%E2%B2%83%E2%B2%9F%E2%B2%97-%CF%A7%E2%B2%89%E2%B2%9B" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 49.9589%;">ⲧⲉϥϩⲉⲃⲥⲱ ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϥⲱⲓ ̀ⲛϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ ⲧⲉ</td><td style="width: 49.9589%;">His clothing is from camel hairs (Matthew 3:4)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 49.9589%;">ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩ̀ⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 49.9589%;">Joseph, her husband, was a righteous \[person\] (Matthew 1:19)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 49.9589%;">ⲟⲩ̀ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲡⲉ</td><td style="width: 49.9589%;">He is the one from a holy spirit (Matthew 1:20)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 49.9589%;">ⲟⲩ̀ⲙϩⲁⲩ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲩ̀ϣⲃⲱⲃⲓ</td><td style="width: 49.9589%;">an open tomb is their throat (Psalms 13:4)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 49.9589%;">ⲛⲓϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ϩⲁⲛϩⲁⲡ ̀ⲙⲙⲏⲓ ⲛⲉ</td><td style="width: 49.9589%;">The judgments of the Lord are true judgments (Psalms 18:9)</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Exercises

##### Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following into Coptic:

1. 

##### Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

1. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲁⲗⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ
2. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ ⲟⲩ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲧⲉ
3. ̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ
4. ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲛⲓ ⲧⲉ
5. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲁⲛ̀ⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲉ
6. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛⲉ
7. ̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲛⲉ

##### Exercise 3: Practice Text

Translate the following text:

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-%E2%B2%B1-%E2%B2%A7%E2%B2%89%E2%B2%9B%E2%B2%99%E2%B2%81%E2%B2%A9-%CC%80%E2%B2%A7%CC%80%E2%B2%81%E2%B2%85%E2%B2%93%CC%80%E2%B2%81-%E2%B2%98%E2%B2%81" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 99.9177%;">  
</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Resources

- "A Study in Bohairic Coptic" by Nabil Matar; p162
- See Moawad Daoud Lesson 2
- See Sameh Younan page 59 in the PDF
- ACTS 2990 Introduction to the Coptic Language (Bohairic) with Hany Takla Lesson 3A