(sedjem-ef) form, as
is a model for that form. Some
forms of the verb are definitely past tense. There is a form (the
form), in which
fits between the verb and the
suffix pronoun, which is specifically past tense. Return to my Egyptology pages
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© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy
Tense, in Egyptian, is often ambiguous. In most languages, the simple form of the verb is present tense (shows that the action is occuring now); then there are usually other forms of the verb to show past or future action. This is not quite true of Egyptian. The simple form of the verb (the form found in dictionaries) can show present, past, or future. Sometimes the tense is shown in the text by some clear statement of the time, "yesterday," "then," "later," etc. Or the entire context may be past, as when a person is telling a story, or when the action is about a person who is deceased. As many examples of Egyptian writing is found in tombs, much of the writing becomes past tense.
The simple form of the verb is usually called the (sedjem-ef) form, as
is a model for that form. Some
forms of the verb are definitely past tense. There is a form (the form), in which
fits between the verb and the
suffix pronoun, which is specifically past tense.
See the Egyptian alphabet to see what sounds the transliteration symbols represent.