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Placement

Not sure where to start?

If you've landed here, you've likely had some exposure to Syriac already. Instead of a formal exam, work through the checkpoints below — answer each one honestly, and they'll show you exactly where to begin.

1 Checkpoint One

Can you read the script?

Read the fully vocalized passage below aloud, then answer the three questions.

From the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6 — on prayer

ܘܡܳܐ ܕܰܡܨܰܠܶܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ܆ ܠܳܐ ܬܶܗܘܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܢܳܣ̈ܒܰܝ ܒܰܐܦ̈ܶܐ܇ ܕܪܳܚܡܺܝܢ ܠܰܡܩܳܡ ܒܰܟ݂ܢܽܘܫ̈ܳܬ݂ܳܐ܂ ܘܰܒܙܳܘ̈ܝܳܬ݂ܳܐ ܕܫܽܘ̈ܩܶܐ ܠܰܡܨܰܠܳܝܽܘ܇ ܕܢܶܬ݂ܚܙܽܘܢ ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ̈ܳܐ. ܘܰܐܡܺܝܢ ܐܳܡܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܟ݂ܽܘܢ܆ ܕܩܰܒܶܠܘ̱ ܐܰܓ݂ܪܗܽܘܢ.

ܐܰܢ̱ܬ݁ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܶܡܰܬ݂ܝ̱ ܕܰܡܨܰܠܶܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ܆ ܥܽܘܠ ܠܬܰܘܳܢܳܟ݂܇ ܘܰܐܚܽܘܕ ܬܰܪܥܳܟ݂܇ ܘܨܰܠܳܐ ܠܰܐܒܽܘܟ݂ ܕܰܒܟܶܣܝܳܐ. ܘܰܐܒܽܘܟ݂ ܕܚܳܙܶܐ ܒܟܶܣܝܳܐ ܢܶܦܪܥܳܟ݂ ܒܓܶܠܝܳܐ.

ܘܡܳܐ ܕܰܡܨܰܠܶܝܢ ܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ܆ ܠܳܐ ܗܘܰܝܬܽܘܢ ܡܦܰܩܩܺܝܢ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܚܰܢ̈ܦܶܐ. ܣܳܒܪܺܝܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܰܒܡܰܡܠ̱ܠܳܐ ܣܰܓܺܝܳܐܐ ܡܶܫܬ݁ܰܡܥܺܝܢ.

ܠܳܐ ܗܳܟ݂ܺܝܠ ܬܶܬ݁ܕ݁ܰܡܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ. ܐܰܒܽܘܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܝܳܕ݂ܰܥ ܡܳܢܳܐ ܡܶܬ݂ܒܥܶܐ ܠܟ݂ܽܘܢ܂ ܥܰܕ݂ܠܳܐ ܬܶܫܶܐܠܽܘܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ܀

Matthew 6:5–8 · Peshitta

Placement reading · Checkpoint 1

Read by Malphono George A. Kiraz

1.Can you read this text aloud correctly? Comprehension doesn't matter yet — just check your reading against the video above.
2.Mark every word below: ✓ if you know it without reaching for a dictionary, ✗ if you don't. Fall below 90% known and Level 1 is where you start.

Mark the words above to see your score.

3.In the passage, some words carry two dots above them — as in ܢܳܣ̈ܒܰܝ and ܐ̱ܢܳܫ̈ܳܐ. Do you know what these dots mean, and why they're there?

2 Checkpoint Two

Do you know the grammar?

Answer “yes” to all three questions in Checkpoint One to continue here.

4.Some nouns end in ܐ, others in ܬܐ. Do you know what this signifies?
5.Do you know the difference between ܟܳܬܶܒ and ܟܳܬܒܳܐ — or between ܟܳܬܒܺܝܢ and ܟܳܬܒ̈ܳܢ?
6.Do you know the difference between ܟܬܒܐ and ܟܬܒ̈ܐ — or between ܡܰܠܟܬܳܐ and ܡܰܠ̈ܟܳܬܳܐ?
7.Do you know the difference between the verb forms ܟܳܬܶܒ, ܟܬܰܒ, ܢܶܟܬܽܘܒ? Or between ܟܳܬܒܺܝܢ, ܟܬܰܒܘ̱, and ܢܶܟܬܒܽܘܢ?
8.Do you know what the ܒܕܽܘܠ letters are, and what's special about Beth, Dolath, Waw, and Lomadh?
9.The words ܘܰܟܬܳܒܶܗ and ܘܰܟܬܳܒܳܗ̇ each consist of three parts. Do you know what they are?
10.ܟܬܳܒܳܐ means “book.” Do you know how to say “my book” and “their books,” each in a single word?
11.ܩܛܰܠ means “to kill.” Can you say “and he killed him” in a single word?

3 Checkpoint Three

Ready for advanced grammar?

Answer “yes” to every question in Checkpoint Two to continue here.

12.Below is the kind of full grammatical analysis taught at this level. Given a sentence like this, could you produce the analysis yourself — naming each prefix, stem and suffix?
Show a worked example
ܒܢܽܘܗܪܳܟ = ܒ + ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ + ـܳܟ

with + light + your = “with your light.” The prefix ܒ means “in.” The stem is ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ “light,” but its final ܐ drops when the suffix ـܳܟ “your” attaches.

ܘܰܥܢܰܝܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ = ܘ + ܥܢܰܝܬ + ـܳܝܗ̱ܝ

and + you answered + him. The prefix ܘ “and” takes a fatḥa because the next letter is vowelless; the stem is ܥܢܰܝܬ “you answered,” and ـܳܝܗ̱ܝ is the object pronoun “him.”

© 2026 Learn Syriac · Placement is a self-guided guide, not a graded exam. ܠܶܫܳܢܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܝܳܝܳܐ