Level 2: Verbs and Basic Tenses

This lesson follows Level 2 of the 2026 Coptic curriculum from the Coptic Family (Bishopric of Youth). You should know the Level 1 lessons first. Read each part, then try the activity after it.

By the end of Level 2 you will be able to:

• build and understand simple sentences with a verb, in different tenses
• use new parts of the sentence without a verb
• follow more of the prayers in church, using texts from the Liturgy and the Midnight Praise

A sentence with a verb

Coptic has 14 tenses: 5 for the past, 4 for the present and 5 for the future. A sentence with a verb has three parts:

1. a tense marker, at the start, which shows when the action happens (two tenses have none: the first present and the first future)
2. the subject: a noun (“the Lord”, “Mina”) or a pronoun (“he”, “they”)
3. the verb

The pronouns look different depending on whether a tense marker comes before them.

1. The first present and the first future

These two tenses have no tense marker: the sentence starts straight with the subject.

The first present: “I pray”, “he eats”

With a noun subject, just put the noun before the verb: Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ϣ̀ⲗⲏⲗ (Mina prays). With a pronoun, the pronoun is joined to the verb: ϥ̀ϣ̀ⲗⲏⲗ (he prays). The forms are in the table below.

• “Not”: put ⲁⲛ after the verb.
• “Never”: also put ⲛ̀- (ⲙ̀- before ⲃ ⲙ ⲡ ⲫ ⲯ) before the subject.
• ⲕ̀- (you, to a man) becomes ⲭ̀- before ⲃ ⲓ ⲗ ⲙ ⲛ ⲟⲩ ⲣ: ⲭ̀ⲟⲩⲱⲙ (you eat).

The first future: “I will pray”

Like the first present, with ⲛⲁ (“will”) after the subject. The only irregular form is “you” to a woman: ⲧⲉⲣⲁ-.

When the subject is a noun, the pronoun can be added or left out: Ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁ ⲥⲓⲛⲓ and Ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ϥ̀ⲛⲁⲥⲓⲛⲓ both mean “the world will pass away”.

2. The first perfect (past): “I prayed”

The other twelve tenses start with a tense marker. The first perfect is for something that happened and is finished.

• Yes: ⲁ before a noun, or joined to a pronoun (ⲁϥ- he).
• No: ⲙ̀ⲡⲉ before a noun, or joined to a pronoun (ⲙ̀ⲡⲉϥ- he).
• “You (plural)” is sometimes ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲉⲛ- instead of ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲉⲛ-.

3. Forms of the sentence

A sentence with a verb can be built in four ways, depending on whether the subject is a noun, a pronoun or both:

1. noun: Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ⲓ̀ (Mina comes)
2. pronoun: Ϥ̀ⲓ̀ (he comes)
3. noun + pronoun: Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ϥ̀ⲓ̀ (Mina comes)
4. pronoun + noun, with ⲛ̀ϫⲉ: Ϥ̀ⲓ̀ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ (Mina comes)

ⲛ̀ϫⲉ marks a noun subject that comes after the verb. It is usually not translated.

4. And, with, or

• ⲟⲩⲟϩ (and) joins sentences and verbs, and nouns that describe the same person.
• ⲛⲉⲙ (and) joins nouns. It can also mean “with”.
• ⲓⲉ (or) gives a choice.

5. The object

The object comes after the verb, joined to it by a small word:

• A noun object takes ⲛ̀-, which becomes ⲙ̀- before ⲃ ⲙ ⲡ ⲫ ⲯ. After verbs of seeing, hearing, asking, blessing and praising (ⲛⲁⲩ, ⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ, ϯϩⲟ, ⲥ̀ⲙⲟⲩ, ϩⲱⲥ, ϣⲁⲣⲓ), use ⲉ̀- instead.
• A pronoun object is joined to ⲙ̀ⲙⲟ= or ⲉ̀ⲣⲟ=:

6. This and that

• ⲡⲁⲓ-, ⲧⲁⲓ- and ⲛⲁⲓ- are joined to a noun and make it definite: ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ (this man).
• ⲫⲁⲓ, ⲑⲁⲓ, ⲛⲁⲓ and ⲫⲏ, ⲑⲏ, ⲛⲏ stand on their own, as the subject, object or predicate of a sentence.

7. More about Level 1

• Weak articles: ⲡ̀ and ⲧ̀ become ⲫ̀ and ⲑ̀ before ⲓ and ⲟⲩ only when a vowel follows.
• ⲡⲉ for everyone: ⲡⲉ can be used for “I”, “we” and “you” too, not just for “he”.
• Mixed subject and predicate: if they differ in gender or number, use ⲡⲉ.

8. “Who”, “which”: ⲉⲧ

ⲉⲧ- means “who”, “which” or “that”. It never changes for gender or number, and is always joined to the next word. Before ⲃ ⲓ ⲗ ⲙ ⲛ ⲟⲩ ⲣ it becomes ⲉⲑ-.

The pointing words ⲫⲏ, ⲑⲏ and ⲛⲏ often come before ⲉⲧ; then they are usually not translated. And ⲉⲧ joined straight to a verb makes a word like “the one who sees”.

9. Numbers 1 to 10

Numbers are written with letters and a line above them. Each number has a masculine and a feminine form, which matches the noun being counted.

• The number comes before the noun, joined by ⲛ̀- (ⲙ̀-). The exception is two: the noun comes first, with no linking word.
• The article is always singular, and the noun stays singular too.

10. Questions

Texts to learn by heart

These two texts use a different Coptic font in the handout. Check the spelling against the PDF.

Introduction to the Creed

We magnify you, Mother of the true light; we glorify you, O holy Theotokos, for you have borne for us the Saviour of the whole world. He came and saved our souls. Glory to You, our Master and King, Christ, the pride of the apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the firmness of the churches, the forgiveness of sins. We proclaim the Holy Trinity, one Godhead; we worship Him and glorify Him. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless. Amen.

Christ is risen

Christ is risen from the dead. By death He trampled death, and to those in the tomb He has given eternal life.

Good to know

• Learn the examples in this level by heart.
• You don’t need to learn the Bible references.