Language through Literature

One sentence of «Le petit Chaperon rouge»


Sentence 25 of 34 · Le petit Chaperon rouge, Charles Perrault, 1697

— C’est pour mieux t’embrasser, ma fille !

“All the better to hug you with, my child!”

Where it stands

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

Le petit Chaperon rouge se déshabille, et va se mettre dans le lit, où elle fut bien étonnée de voir comment sa mère-grand était faite en son déshabillé.

Little Red Riding Hood undresses and goes to get into the bed, where she was very much astonished to see what her grandmother looked like in her nightclothes.

— Elle lui dit : Ma mère-grand, que vous avez de grands bras !

She said to her: “Grandmother, what big arms you have!”

— Ma mère-grand, que vous avez de grandes jambes !

“Grandmother, what big legs you have!”

— C’est pour mieux courir, mon enfant !

“All the better to run with, my child!”

Every word in it

As printedDictionary formMeaning
C cethis, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what
est êtreto be (v.); c’est — it is; also forms the past of some verbs: elle est venue — she came
pour pourfor; in order to (prep.); pour moi — as for me; pour sa sœur — as for her sister
mieux mieuxbetter (adv.); pour mieux — the better to; il vaut mieux — it is better; aimer mieux — to prefer
t teyou, to you; yourself (pron.)
embrasser embrasserto hug, embrace; to kiss (v.)
ma monmy (mon, ma, mes) (poss. adj.)
fille filledaughter; girl (n., f.); jeune fille — girl, young woman; petite fille — little girl; ma fille — my child

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Perrault and Daudet, all eight tales · Charles Perrault

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