1-7 Greek letters and a first conversation You meet Greek-origin words, then put everything together.

New letters

• Ⲅ ⲅ Gamma g as in go before ⲉ, ⲏ, ⲓ or ⲩ and 3 other ways: see the letters page
• Ⲝ ⲝ Eksi ks as in books
• Ⲭ ⲭ Ki kh as in loch in a Greek word, and in Ⲙⲓⲭⲉⲟⲥ and 2 other ways: see the letters page
• Ⲯ ⲯ Epsi ps as in lapse

Learn

Coptic took many words from Greek, and these four letters mostly appear in them. ⲝ is ks as in books, ⲯ is ps as in lapse.

ⲅ is n before ⲅ, ⲕ, ⲭ or ⲝ (so ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ is angelos), g before ⲉ, ⲏ, ⲓ or ⲩ, and a rough gh otherwise.

ⲭ is k in a Coptic word (ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, Egypt, is keemi). In a Greek word it is kh, but sh before ⲉ, ⲏ, ⲓ or ⲩ: ⲭⲉⲣⲉ, hail, is shere.

That is all 31 letters of the alphabet. A 32nd sign, ⲋ, is only a numeral; it comes in Lesson 2-6. The conversation below uses only what you have learned.

Words

• kosmos ⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ world
• angelos ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ angel
• keemi ⲭⲏⲙⲓ Egypt
• psalmos ⲯⲁⲗⲙⲟⲥ psalm
• taksis ⲧⲁⲝⲓⲥ order
• khora ⲭⲱⲣⲁ country
• genos ⲅⲉⲛⲟⲥ kind, race
• thoron ⲇⲱⲣⲟⲛ gift

Say it

• Nim pe pekran Ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ What is your name? (to a man)
• Nim pe peran Ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲣⲁⲛ What is your name? (to a woman)
• Ash pe pekran Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ What is your name? (to a man)
• Ash pe peran Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲣⲁⲛ What is your name? (to a woman)
• Paran pe Meena Ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ My name is Mina.
• Nim pe pekiot Ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲓⲱⲧ Who is your father? (to a man)
• Nim pe peiot Ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲱⲧ Who is your father? (to a woman)
• Nim pe fai Ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲁⲓ Who is this?
• Fai pe Markos Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ Ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲥ This is Mark.
• Ou pe fai Ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲁⲓ What is this?
• Ash pe fai Ⲁϣ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲁⲓ What is this?