Lesson 4: Personal Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Pronouns take the place of a noun. We briefly introduced pronouns with the Demonstrative Pronouns in a previous lesson. In this lesson, we will examine the Personal Pronouns (i.e. pronouns that describe or take the place of a person).

Coptic	English	Person	Number
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	I	1st	Singular
ⲁⲛⲟⲛ	We/Us	1st	Plural
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲕ	You (m.)	2nd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲟ	You (f.)	2nd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ	You (pl.) or Y'all	2nd	Plural
̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ	He	3rd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	She	3rd	Singular
̀ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ	Them	3rd	Plural

Examples

<Definite Subject>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	<Definite Object>	Translation
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ
̀ⲛⲑⲟ	ⲧⲉ	ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ
̀ⲛⲑⲟⲥ	ⲧⲉ	ϯ̀ⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ

Nominal Tripartite Sentences II

There are several forms of a nominal tripartite sentence. In a previous lesson, we explored the first form which can be used when both the subject and the object are definite (e.g. nouns with a definite article, nouns with a possessive article, nouns with a demonstrative article). We also stated that a pronoun can take the place of a noun, and we observed examples where the demonstrative pronouns, and later on the personal pronouns, did so.

That form was:
<Definite Subject>        ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ       <Definite Object>
<Definite Object>        ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ       <Definite Subject>

Now we will look at two other forms. These forms are translated to English in the same way, and are used when the object is indefinite.

The forms are:
<Definite Subject>       <Indefinite Object>        ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ

<Definite Subject>	<Indefinite Object>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	Translation
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ	ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	my father is a man

<Indefinite Object>        ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ       <Definite Subject>

<Indefinite Object>	ⲡⲉ/ⲧⲉ/ⲛⲉ	<Definite Subject>	Translation
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ	ⲡⲉ	ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ	my father is a man

Application

Application 1: 

This is an excerpt from <>. 

ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ

This is also true

1. ⲫⲁⲓ -

Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic

Translate the following into Coptic:

1.  

Exercise 2: Translate to English

Translate the following phrases into English:

1.  

Exercise 3: Practice Text

ⲱ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ ̀ⲧ̀ⲁⲅⲓ̀ⲁ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲛⲑⲟ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ. ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲓϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲡⲉϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲙⲉⲛⲣⲓⲧ. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϥ̀ⲉⲃⲓⲁⲓⲕ. ̀ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ̀ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉϥϣⲏⲣⲓ.

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