Language through Literature

One sentence of «Le petit Chaperon rouge»


Sentence 27 of 34 · Le petit Chaperon rouge, Charles Perrault, 1697

— C’est pour mieux courir, mon enfant !

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

Where it stands

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

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

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

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

“Grandmother, what big legs you have!”

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

“Grandmother, what big ears you have!”

— C’est pour mieux écouter, mon enfant !

“All the better to listen 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
courir courirto run (v.); courir après — to chase; courir les nids — to go nesting, hunt for nests; en courant — at a run
mon monmy (mon, ma, mes) (poss. adj.)
enfant enfantchild (n., m./f.); mes enfants — my children

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Perrault and Daudet, all eight tales · Charles Perrault

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