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 |
- ⲫⲁⲓ -
Exercises
Exercise 1: Translate to Coptic
Translate the following into Coptic:
Exercise 2: Translate to English
Translate the following phrases into English:
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.