How do you say "straight ahead" in Bohairic?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08

In the Bohairic dialect (ⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ), the most accurate way to say "straight ahead" or "directly forward" is:

Ⲉⲣⲏⲧ ⲉⲧϩⲏ

(Ereet et-hee)

Breakdown:

• Ⲉⲣⲏⲧ (Ereet): This is a native Coptic adverbial form meaning "upright," "straight," or "standing."
• Ⲉⲧϩⲏ (Et-hee): This is a combination of the preposition ⲉ (to/towards) and ⲧϩⲏ (the front/before).

If you are giving a command to "go straight ahead," you would say:

Ⲙⲟϣⲓ ⲉⲣⲏⲧ ⲉⲧϩⲏ

(Moshi ereet et-hee) — "Walk straight ahead."

Alternative (Liturgical/Scriptural):

In Coptic liturgical texts, such as the prayers found in the Ⲁⲅⲡⲓⲁ (Book of Hours), the word for "uprightness" or "straightness" is often derived from the root Ⲥⲱⲟⲩⲧⲉⲛ (Sooten). For example, in the concluding prayer of every hour, we ask God to Ⲥⲟⲩⲧⲉⲛ ⲡⲉⲛⲱⲛϣ (Souten pen-onkh)—"Guide/Direct (straighten) our life."

Therefore, if you want to emphasize the direction being "straight," you can also use:

Ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲱⲟⲩⲧⲉⲛ

(Khen ou-sooten) — "In straightness/uprightness."