The French reading room
One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
Alors seulement, un peu remis de ma frayeur, je remarquai que notre maître avait sa belle redingote verte, son jabot plissé fin et la calotte de soie noire brodée qu’il ne mettait que les jours d’inspection ou de distribution de prix.
Only then, somewhat recovered from my fright, did I notice that our master had on his fine green frock coat, his finely pleated frill and the embroidered black silk skullcap that he wore only on inspection days or prize days.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
J’enjambai le banc et je m’assis tout de suite à mon pupitre.
I stepped over the bench and sat down at my desk straight away.
Du reste, toute la classe avait quelque chose d’extraordinaire et de solennel.
Besides, the whole class had something strange and solemn about it.
But what surprised me most was to see, at the back of the room, on the benches that were usually empty, people from the village sitting there as silent as we were: old Hauser with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postman, and other people besides.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alors | alors | then, so (adv.) |
| seulement | seulement | only; but (adv.) |
| un | un | a, an; one (art./num.); l’un… l’autre — the one… the other; les unes… les autres — some… others |
| peu | peu | little (adv.); un peu — a little; si peu — so little; peu instruit — little schooled |
| remis | remettre | recovered (from) (past part.) |
| de | de | of, from; some, any (prep./partitive art.) — du pain, de l’eau; pas de — no, not any; de… en… — from… to… |
| ma | mon | my (mon, ma, mes) (poss. adj.) |
| frayeur | frayeur | fright, fear (n., f.) |
| je | je | I (pron.) |
| remarquai | remarquer | to notice (v.) |
| que | que | that, which, whom; than; how…! (conj./rel. pron.); ne… que — only |
| notre | notre | our (notre, nos) (poss. adj.) |
| maître | maître | master (n., m.); une maîtresse chèvre — a formidable goat; as adj. — chief, splendid: maîtresse barbe, magnificent whiskers |
| avait | avoir | to have (v.); il y a — there is, there are; avoir beau + inf. — to do in vain; avoir peur — to be afraid |
| sa | son | his, her, its (det.) — son, sa, ses; also le son, sound: à son de trompe; also bran (n., m.) — du son, rabbit bait |
| belle | beau | beautiful, handsome; fine (adj.) — bel before a vowel; un beau matin — one fine morning; à belles dents — with gusto |
| redingote | redingote | frock coat (n., f.) |
| verte | vert | green (adj.) |
| jabot | jabot | shirt frill, jabot (n., m.) |
| plissé | plissé | pleated (adj.) |
| fin | fin | finely, in fine pleats (adv.) |
| et | et | and (conj.) |
| la | le | the (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.) |
| calotte | calotte | skullcap (n., f.) |
| soie | soie | silk (n., f.) |
| noire | noir | black; dark (adj.) |
| brodée | brodé | embroidered (adj.) |
| il | il | he; it (il, ils — they) (pron.); il y a — there is; il faut — one must |
| ne | ne | not (neg. particle) — ne… pas, ne… point, ne… plus, ne… que (only); ne… rien — nothing; ne… guère — hardly |
| mettait | mettre | to put; to put on, wear (v.); se mettre à — to begin to; se mettre dans le lit — to get into bed; se mettre le cœur à l’envers — to fret |
| que | que | only (ne … que) (adv.) |
| jours | jour | day (n., m.) — tous les jours, every day; tout le jour — all day long; ce jour-là — that day |
| inspection | inspection | inspection (n., f.) |
| ou | ou | or (conj.); ou… ou — either… or |
| distribution | distribution | distribution (n., f.); distribution de prix — prize-giving |
| prix | prix | prize (n., m.) |
Read «La Dernière Classe» in the room Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. The whole tale is free and asks for no account.