Language through Literature

One sentence of «Le petit Chaperon rouge»


Sentence 18 of 34 · Le petit Chaperon rouge, Charles Perrault, 1697

Ensuite il ferma la porte, et s’alla coucher dans le lit de la mère-grand, en attendant le petit Chaperon rouge, qui, quelque temps après, vint heurter à la porte : toc, toc.

Then he shut the door and went and lay down in the grandmother’s bed, to wait for Little Red Riding Hood, who, some time later, came knocking at the door: knock, knock.

Where it stands

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

— Qui est là ?

“Who is there?”

— Le petit Chaperon rouge, qui entendit la grosse voix du Loup, eut peur d’abord, mais, croyant que sa mère-grand était enrhumée, répondit : C’est votre fille, le petit Chaperon rouge, qui vous apporte une galette et un petit pot de beurre, que ma mère vous envoie.

Little Red Riding Hood, hearing the Wolf’s gruff voice, was frightened at first, but, thinking that her grandmother had a cold, answered: “It is your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood, who is bringing you a cake and a little pot of butter that my mother is sending you.”

Every word in it

As printedDictionary formMeaning
Ensuite ensuitethen, next, afterwards (adv.)
il ilhe; it (il, ils — they) (pron.); il y a — there is; il faut — one must
ferma fermerto close, shut (v.)
la lethe (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.)
porte portedoor, gate (n., f.); also a form of porter — comment se porte… ? how is… ?
et etand (conj.)
s sehimself, herself, itself, themselves; each other (reflexive pron.); s’ also stands for si — if — in s’il, s’ils
alla allerto go (v.); s’en aller — to go away, leave; aller + inf. — to go and…, be going to…; y aller de bon cœur — to throw oneself into it
coucher coucherto put to bed (v.); se coucher — to lie down, go to bed; être couché — to be lying down
dans dansin, into (prep.)
lit litbed (n., m.)
de deof, from; some, any (prep./partitive art.) — du pain, de l’eau; pas de — no, not any; de… en… — from… to…
mère-grand mère-grandgrandmother (n., f.) — Perrault’s word
en enin, into; while (+ -ing) (prep.); of it, of them, some (pron.); en train de — in the middle of; s’en aller — to go away
attendant attendreto wait, wait for; to expect (v.); en attendant — while waiting for; n’attendre plus que — to be waiting only for
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
quelque quelquesome (det.); quelqu’un — someone; quelques — a few; quelque chose — something
temps tempstime; weather (n., m.); de temps en temps — from time to time; dans le temps que — while; en même temps — at the same time
après aprèsafter (prep./adv.); courir après — to run after; après tout — after all
vint venirto come (v.); venir de + inf. — to have just done; il vint à elle — there came up to her; venir à passer — to happen to pass
heurter heurterto knock (at a door); to strike, bump (v.)
à àto, at, in; with (prep.); c’est à… — it belongs to…; à boire — something to drink
toc tocknock (interj.)

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Perrault and Daudet, all eight tales · Charles Perrault

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