The French reading room
One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
Ah ! les misérables, voilà ce qu’ils avaient affiché à la mairie.
Ah, the wretches — so that was what they had posted up at the town hall.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
Ces quelques paroles me bouleversèrent.
Those few words overwhelmed me.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ah | ah | ah!, oh! (interj.) |
| les | le | the (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.) |
| misérables | misérable | wretch, scoundrel (n.) |
| voilà | voilà | here is, there is; here are (prep.); les voilà — there they are; la voilà partie — off she goes; voilà qui est bien — that’s it |
| ce | ce | this, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what |
| qu | que | that, which, whom; than; how…! (conj./rel. pron.); ne… que — only |
| ils | il | he; it (il, ils — they) (pron.); il y a — there is; il faut — one must |
| avaient | avoir | to have (v.); il y a — there is, there are; avoir beau + inf. — to do in vain; avoir peur — to be afraid |
| affiché | afficher | to post up, put up a notice (v.) |
| à | à | to, at, in; with (prep.); c’est à… — it belongs to…; à boire — something to drink |
| mairie | mairie | town hall (n., f.) |
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.