A Glimpse into Ancient Egyptian: Essential Phrases and Cultural Insights

Greetings

• "Ma'at ka ra" (muh-aht kuh rah) - Truth, Life, and Prosperity
• "Ankh, Udja, Seneb" (ahnk, oo-jah, sen-eb) - Life, Vitality, and Health
• "Nekhtet" (nek-tet) - Victory
• "Henu" (he-nu) - Greetings
• "Senebti" (sen-eb-tee) - Good health to you
• "Em hotep" (em ho-tep) - In peace
• "Sa wad dee" (sah-wad-dee) - Hello
• "Hetep di nesu" (hetep dee ne-su) - Peace to the king

More greetings in Ancient Egyptian language.

Meeting People

Phrases for meeting people in Ancient Egyptian:

• "I am pleased to meet you." - 𓅱𓇋𓏠𓏏𓄿𓏏𓈖𓊃𓍯𓈖𓂝𓇿𓆑𓂋𓎟 (nfr.k m nb=f)
• "What is your name?" - 𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃𓈖𓋴𓇋𓄿𓏏𓈖𓆑𓂝𓊃 (msi.tw r n.f?)
• "My name is __." - 𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃𓈖𓄿𓏏𓇋𓏏𓈖𓆑𓂝 (msi.tw n.f __)
• "How are you?" - 𓈖𓍯𓅓𓂝𓊃 𓆑𓂋𓏏𓈖𓇋𓅱 (m-hy.tw r.f?)
• "I am good, thank you." - 𓈖𓍯𓅓𓂝𓊃 𓃠𓏤𓂝𓊃 (m-hy.tw nfr)

Note: These phrases are in transliteration. Hieroglyphic spellings may vary.

Food and Drink

• "Ta henket" - Bread and beer, the basic food and drink
• "Ankh waen" - Living bread, sustaining life
• "Wabet" - Offering bread, for the gods
• "Ma'at kheru" - True of voice and pleasing to the god
• "Ka en ipet" - The bull of his mother, fertility of the land
• "Shai henet" - Satisfy my hunger
• "Dua nefer" - Delicious
• "Hepi" - Fruit
• "Seneb" - Healthy
• "Sekhmet hotep" - Offering to Sekhmet

Phrases for buying food:

• "How much does this cost?" - 𓍯𓂝𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇋𓄿𓏏𓈖𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃 (ir.n=f rdi.t?)
• "I would like to buy __." - 𓎛𓇋𓏏𓈖𓂋𓏏𓇋𓄿𓏏𓈖𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃 (n-mn.tw s.t __)
• "Do you have __?" - 𓅱𓂸𓎟𓊃𓈖𓂝𓊃 𓃭𓍯𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃 (jw=tw r __?)
• "I would like to order __." - 𓎛𓇋𓏏𓈖𓂋𓏏𓇋𓄿𓏏𓈖𓊃𓃀𓎡𓂋𓊃 (n-mn.tw htp __)
• "Thank you." - 𓃠𓏤𓂝𓊃 (nfr)

Person 1: Em hotep! (Hello!)

Person 2: Em hotep! Ankh wedja seneb. (Hello! I am well, thank you.)

Person 1: Nefertiti ankh. (Is Nefertiti well?)

Person 2: Ah, Nefertiti ankh ity. (Yes, Nefertiti is well.)

Person 1: Nefertiti en khetet shetep nesu. (I want to buy Nefertiti a necklace.)

Person 2: Henu, em hotep. (Very well, hello.)

Person 1: Ankh wedja seneb. (I am well, thank you.)

Person 2: Nefertiti en efet. (Nefertiti wants this one?)

Person 1: Ii, wab nefer. (Yes, it is beautiful.)

Person 2: Remenkimi em hotep. (Thank you, hello.)

Person 1: Remenkimi, nuk tepi. (Thank you, I am satisfied.)

Work

• "Sedjem en tep" - To make good progress
• "Iri heru" - To do one's duty
• "Sahsu" - Craftsmanship
• "Iry maat" - Doing what is right
• "Sekhem-ka" - Power of the soul
• "Heka" - Magic
• "Senebty" - Health and happiness
• "Ta-wer" - The Great Balance
• "Iri set" - To make things happen
• "Seneb wabau" - Healthy and pure

Person 2: Nehi ma'a nuk en-efet? (What do you want to do?)

Person 1: Nuk sekhet-a. (I want to work in the fields.)

Person 2: Nuk senefru-a. (I want to craft things.)

Person 1: Nuk sekhet-a wabet. (I want to plow the fields.)

Person 2: Nuk senefru-a seba. (I want to make pottery.)

Person 1: Ii, nuk senefru-a seba. (Yes, I want to make pottery too.)

Person 2: Henu, em hotep. (Very well, hello.)

Person 1: Ankh wedja seneb. (I am well, thank you.)

Egypt

Kemet - the black land

• Kemet - Black land, referring to the fertile Nile soil
• Hwt-ka-Ptah - Temple of the ka of Ptah, Memphis
• Waset - Thebes, capital during the New Kingdom
• Ma'at - Order, balance, and justice
• Nfr-kA - Perfect soul, pharaoh's soul after death
• Ankhsenamun - She lives for Amun
• Hetep di nesu - Offering given by the king
• Renenutet - Goddess of fertility and harvest
• Nebty - The two ladies, Nekhbet and Wadjet
• Sema-tawy - Unifier of the two lands

Where do you come from?

• Informal: Peyt en ek?
• Formal: Peyt en nesu?

Language

• "mdw ntr" (medu netjer) - Divine speech, hieroglyphs
• "sesh medew netcher" - Writing the words of the gods
• "sesh per em heru" - Writing in the manner of Horus
• "sesh per ankh" - Writing for life
• "mryt n km.t" (meret en kemet) - Beloved of the Black Land

Person 1: Iryt tawy nesut-bity netjeru her wer? (Do you speak the language of the pharaohs and the gods?)

Person 2: Iryt tawy nesut-bity netjeru her wer. (I speak the language of the pharaohs and the gods.)

Person 1: Henek iry nesu-tawy? (Where did you learn it?)

Person 2: Iryt iry nesu-tawy tawy. (I learned it in the school.)

Person 1: Iryt-ef maa-ef shai? (Do you understand me?)

Person 2: Iryt-ef maa-ef shai. (I understand you.)

Person 1: Henket nefer! (That's good!)

Person 2: Nekhtet! (Thank you!)

War

• "hei-tep di-nit" - Offering of peace to the gods
• "Sedjef en Nesu" - He who strikes the enemy
• "nkhkhwt" - Warriors or soldiers
• "nhh" - To smite or strike down
• "smai tawy" - Uniter of the two lands

Trade

• "mr-sp" - To make a deal or trade
• "bH-nTr" - The trade of the god
• "tAwy" - The two lands, trade between regions
• "sA-nfr" - Beautiful merchandise
• "mnw" - To count or measure

Seller: Em hotep! (Hello!)

Buyer: Em hotep! (Hello!)

Seller: Nefret neferu? (How are you?)

Buyer: Ankh nfr. (I am fine.)

Seller: Nesu nefer? (What do you want to buy?)

Buyer: Senedjem shai a-aa. (I want to buy some bread.)

Seller: Senedjem shai a-aa em hotep. (I will sell you some bread.)

Buyer: Henket nefer. (That's good.)

Seller: Bekhenet nefer. (That will be good.)

Buyer: Meket nefer. (That's fair.)

Seller: Iryt pat? (How many loaves?)

Buyer: Iryt shai en-aa. (I want ten loaves.)

Seller: Bekhenet nefer. (That will be good.)

Buyer: Nekhtet. (Thank you.)

Seller: Em hotep. (Goodbye.)

Ancient Egyptian Gods

• Ra - 𓉐𓂸
• Osiris - 𓆎𓍯𓇋𓅓𓏏𓈖𓂝𓊃
• Isis - 𓂧𓆣𓎼𓄿
• Horus - 𓊃𓈖𓇋
• Anubis - 𓋴𓇋𓂋
• Thoth - 𓈖𓎡𓁐
• Hathor - 𓇋𓂥𓈖𓆫
• Bastet - 𓆤𓍯𓏏𓅱
• Set - 𓎡𓈖𓊃
• Amun - 𓋹𓇳𓏏𓄿

Pyramids and Pharaohs

• "Akhet Khufu" - The horizon of Khufu, Great Pyramid
• "Neb Ankh" - Lord of life
• "Ma'at" - Order, balance, and justice
• "Sed festival" - Ceremony to renew pharaoh's power
• "Pyramidion" - Capstone of a pyramid
• "Nemes" - Striped headcloth of pharaohs
• "Heqat" - Unit of measurement (~4.8 meters)

Back to Ancient Egyptian core phrases.