Language through Literature

One sentence of «Le petit Chaperon rouge»


Sentence 2 of 34 · Le petit Chaperon rouge, Charles Perrault, 1697

Cette bonne femme lui fit faire un petit chaperon rouge qui lui seyait si bien, que partout on l’appelait le petit Chaperon rouge.

This good woman had a little red hood made for her, which suited her so well that everywhere she went she was called Little Red Riding Hood.

Where it stands

The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.

Il était une fois une petite fille de village, la plus éveillée qu’on eût su voir : sa mère en était folle, et sa mère-grand plus folle encore.

Once upon a time there was a little village girl, the brightest, liveliest child you could ever have seen: her mother was mad about her, and her grandmother madder still.

Every word in it

As printedDictionary formMeaning
Cette cethis, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what
bonne bongood; kind (adj.); sentir bon — to smell sweet; de bon cœur — heartily
femme femmewoman; wife (n., f.); bonne femme — good woman, old woman
lui luihim; to him, to her (pron.)
fit faireto do, make (v.); faire + inf. — to have (something) done; il se fit — there came; faire le mort — to play dead; se faire à — to get used to
un una, an; one (art./num.); l’un… l’autre — the one… the other; les unes… les autres — some… others
petit petitsmall, little (adj.); la petite — the little one
chaperon chaperonhood (n., m.); le petit Chaperon rouge — Little Red Riding Hood
rouge rougered (adj.)
qui quiwho, which, that (rel./interr. pron.); à qui — to whom, whose; qui… qui — one… another
seyait seoirto suit, become (v., archaic) — seyait, suited
si siif, whether (conj.); so (adv.) — si fort, so hard; yes (after a negative question); s’il vous plaît — please
bien bienwell; very, quite; indeed (adv.) — bien aise, very glad; bien autre chose — something quite different; bien plus — far more
que quethat, which, whom; than; how…! (conj./rel. pron.); ne… que — only
partout partouteverywhere (adv.)
on onone, people, they, someone (pron.)
l lethe (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.)
appelait appelerto call (v.); s’appeler — to be called, be named

Read «Le petit Chaperon rouge» in the room → Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. The whole tale is free and asks for no account.

← the sentence before the sentence after →

Perrault and Daudet, all eight tales · Charles Perrault

Free editorial texts and word lists are reference resources. Interactive learning starts with one beginner lesson, one opening story scene and one grammar discovery; a free account adds a second lesson. See what the subscription opens.