2-1 The, a and some You talk about a man, some men, a book and some books.

Learn

Coptic has three words for the. ⲡⲓ goes with a masculine word, ϯ with a feminine word, and ⲛⲓ with plurals. They are written joined to the front of the word: ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ is the man.

To say a or one, put ⲟⲩ in front: ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ is a man. To say some, or just more than one, put ϩⲁⲛ in front: ϩⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲓ is men.

Every Coptic noun is masculine or feminine, and you learn the gender with the word. ⲣⲱⲙⲓ (man) is masculine.

Words

• pi ⲡⲓ the (masculine)
• ti ϯ the (feminine)
• ni ⲛⲓ the (plural)
• ou ⲟⲩ a, an
• han ϩⲁⲛ some (plural)
• piromi ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ the man
• tieshimi ϯⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ the woman The feminine of ⲡⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ, the man.
• niromi ⲛⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ the men
• nihiomi ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ the women
• ouromi ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ a man
• oueshimi ⲟⲩⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ a woman The feminine of ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ, a man. ⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ is also wife. The hymn books always put a jenkom on the ⲥ: ⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ, ϯⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ, ⲟⲩⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ, ⲛ̀ⲥ̀ϩⲓⲙⲓ (64 of 65 uses in the hymn texts, found 9 Oct 2026); some old grammars print it without.
• hanromi ϩⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲓ men
• hanhiomi ϩⲁⲛϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ women The feminine of ϩⲁⲛⲣⲱⲙⲓ, men; with the the it is ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ.
• pigom ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ the book
• hangom ϩⲁⲛϫⲱⲙ books
• hankash ϩⲁⲛⲕⲁϣ pens
• pikahi ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ the earth, the ground

Say it

• niromi nem nihiomi ⲛⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ the men and the women
• ougom nem hankash ⲟⲩϫⲱⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩⲁⲛⲕⲁϣ a book and some pens