Divine Words
Royal Terms
Beautiful Words
Family Words
Important Words
Common Phrases You'll See
These phrases appear on countless monuments and tomb inscriptions throughout ancient Egypt.
The most common blessing in ancient Egypt, often written after royal names.
The opening formula of most tomb inscriptions, requesting offerings for the deceased.
A royal title appearing before the pharaoh's birth name in cartouches.
A common epithet for the reigning pharaoh.
Did You Know?
- No Vowels: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs only wrote consonants. We add vowels like "e" when pronouncing them today.
- Reading Direction: Look at the faces! Animals and people face toward the beginning of the text.
- Sacred Writing:"Hieroglyph" comes from Greek meaning "sacred carving" — Egyptians called it "mdw-nแนฏr" (words of god).
- 3,000+ Signs: The Egyptian language used over 3,000 different hieroglyphic signs, but you only need about 700 to read most texts.
- Three Scripts: Egyptians had three writing systems: hieroglyphic (formal), hieratic (cursive), and demotic (later simplified).
- Cartouches: Royal names were written inside oval rings called cartouches, symbolizing the pharaoh's rule over everything the sun encircles.















