2-2 This and these You point at things nearby.

Learn

To say this, Coptic has two sets of words. By itself, ⲫⲁⲓ means this for something masculine, ⲑⲁⲓ for something feminine, and ⲛⲁⲓ means these: ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ is this is the book.

Joined to a noun, the little pieces ⲡⲁⲓ-, ⲧⲁⲓ- and ⲛⲁⲓ- do the same job as the English word this before a noun: ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ is this book, ⲧⲁⲓⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ is this table and ⲛⲁⲓⲕⲁϣ is these pens. They are written as one word with the noun.

When the thing named has ⲟⲩ, a or an, the joining word goes at the end: ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲩϫⲱⲙ ⲡⲉ, this is a book.

Words

• fai ⲫⲁⲓ this (masculine, by itself)
• thai ⲑⲁⲓ this (feminine, by itself)
• nai ⲛⲁⲓ these
• pai ⲡⲁⲓ- this (joined to a masculine noun)
• tai ⲧⲁⲓ- this (joined to a feminine noun)
• paigom ⲡⲁⲓϫⲱⲙ this book
• paikahi ⲡⲁⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ this ground
• taitrapeza ⲧⲁⲓⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ this table
• naikash ⲛⲁⲓⲕⲁϣ these pens
• naisheeri ⲛⲁⲓϣⲏⲣⲓ these sons

Say it

• Fai pe pigom Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ This is the book.
• Thai te titrapeza Ⲑⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ϯⲧⲣⲁⲡⲉⲍⲁ This is the table.
• Fai ougom pe Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲩϫⲱⲙ ⲡⲉ This is a book.