Coptic for All

Coptic for All

Level 1: Lesson 5

The Coptic alphabet

Letters with three pronunciations

Ghamma Ⲅ ⲅ

The letter Ghamma: Ⲅ ⲅ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English sound “g” in the word “English” if it was followed by an “e” sounding vowel ( ⲉ ⲏ ⲓ ⲩ )
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “g”:
ⲓⲟⲥ
ⲉⲱⲣⲓⲟⲥ
ⲙⲟⲛⲟⲉⲛⲏⲥ
Ⲙⲁ
 
2- Same as the English letter “n” if it was followed by one of the letters ( ⲅ ⲕ ⲭ ⲝ )
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “n”:
ⲁⲛⲁⲕⲏ
ⲥⲁⲗⲡⲓ
ⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ
ⲉⲩⲁⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ
ⲭⲟⲥ
 
3- Same as the French sound “r” (sometimes transliterated to “gh” in English) in all other cases
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “gh”:
ⲁⲡⲏ
ⲁⲣ
ⲣⲁⲫⲏ
ⲁⲑⲟⲥ
ⲁⲛⲁⲛⲱⲥⲓⲥ

Ki   Ⲭ ⲭ

The letter Ki: Ⲭ ⲭ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English sound “sh” if it was followed by an “e” sounding vowel ( ⲉ ⲏ ⲓ ⲩ ) in a Greek word
Examples of Ki when pronounced “sh”:
ⲉⲣⲉ
ⲉⲩ
ⲯⲩ
ⲓⲥⲩⲣⲟⲥ
ⲁⲣ
 
2- Same as the sound “kh” if not followed by an “e” sound in Greek word
Examples of Ki when pronounced “kh”:
ⲡⲓⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ
ⲁⲣⲓⲥ
ⲟⲣⲟⲥ
ⲙⲟⲛⲁⲟⲥ
ⲗⲩⲛⲓⲁ
 
3- same as English letter “k” in Coptic words
Examples of Ki when pronounced “k”:
Ⲭ̀ⲟⲩⲁⲃ
ⲏⲙⲓ
ⲭ̀ⲗⲟⲙ
ⲭ̀ⲣⲱⲙ

Ypsilon Ⲩ ⲩ

The letter Ypsilon: Ⲩ ⲩ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English letter “v” if one of the letters ( ⲁ ⲉ ) came before it
Examples of Ypsilon when pronounced “v”:
ⲙⲁ
ⲭⲏ
ⲭⲁⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁ
ⲛⲁ
 
2- If the letter Omicron “” came before it they are pronounced together as sound “oo” in the word “boot”
Examples of Ypsilon when joined by Omicron and pronounced “oo”:
ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ
ⲟⲩⲣⲟ
ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ
ⲟⲩⲃⲟ
ⲟⲩ
 
3- same as English letters ee in the word “teen” in all other cases
Examples of Examples when pronounced “ee”:
ⲣⲓⲟⲥ
ϩⲙⲛⲟⲥ
ⲭⲏ
ⲥⲓⲁ
ⲓⲟⲥ

Exercise

‌Ⲁⲣⲓⲧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ϣⲁ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲥ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲟⲩϣⲉⲡϩ̀ⲙⲟⲧ‌ ‌ϫⲉ‌
‌Ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ‌ ‌ⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲥⲓ̀‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲧⲉϩⲛⲁⲕ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲓ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫ̀ⲣⲏϯ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲧ̀ⲫⲉ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ϩⲓϫⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲛⲱⲓⲕ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ‌ ‌ⲣⲁⲥϯ‌ ‌ⲙⲏⲓϥ‌ ‌ⲛⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫⲟⲟⲩ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟϩ‌ ‌ⲭⲁ‌ ‌ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲉⲣⲟⲛ‌ ‌ⲛⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫ̀ⲣⲏϯ‌ ‌ϩⲱⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲛⲭⲱ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲉ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲣⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟϩ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲡⲉⲣⲉⲛⲧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ϧⲟⲩⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲡⲓⲣⲁⲥⲙⲟⲥ‌ ‌ⲁⲗⲗⲁ‌ ‌ⲛⲁϩⲙⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲡⲉⲧϩⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌Ⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ‌ ‌Ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ‌ ‌ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲑⲱⲕ‌ ‌ⲧⲉ‌ ‌ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ϯϫⲟⲙ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ϣⲁ‌ ‌ⲉⲛⲉϩ‌ ‌ⲁⲙⲏⲛ‌

Test

This is the final lesson in level 1. The only important question is: Can you now read Coptic?
If the answer is yes, please click the button below to unlock the summary and start level 2. Hope you enjoyed level 1 course

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Coming soon

Level 1

+ Learn the Coptic Alphabet

+ Read simple words and examples from the liturgy

+ Practice reading the Lord’s prayer:

Ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ

Try some self study:

Level 2

+ Indefinite and definite articles

+ Present tense

+ Past tense

+ Possessive adjectives

+ Adjectives & association

+ Structure of Coptic sentence

Try some self study:

Level 3

+ Demonstrative pronouns

+ Negation of the past tense

+ Future tense

+ 2nd Past tense

+ Possessive pronouns

+ Studying the First Canticle

Try some self study:

Level 4

+ Imperative

+ Verb relation to object 2nd and 3rd degrees

+ Past continuous

+ Study the Lord’s prayer:

Ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ

Level 5

Advanced level, the curriculum will be tailored to the participants’ needs