Language through Literature

One sentence of «Le petit Chaperon rouge»


Sentence 31 of 34 · Le petit Chaperon rouge, Charles Perrault, 1697

— C’est pour mieux te voir, mon enfant !

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

Where it stands

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

— C’est pour mieux écouter, mon enfant !

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

— Ma mère-grand, que vous avez de grands yeux !

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

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

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have!”

— C’est pour te manger !

“They are to eat you with!”

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
te teyou, to you; yourself (pron.)
voir voirto see (v.); se voir — to see oneself; voyons — let’s see; voyez-vous — you see
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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