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One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
Que n’aurais-je pas donné pour pouvoir dire tout au long cette fameuse règle des participes, bien haut, bien clair, sans une faute ! mais je m’embrouillai aux premiers mots, et je restai debout à me balancer dans mon banc, le cœur gros, sans oser lever la tête.
What would I not have given to be able to say that famous rule for participles all the way through, good and loud, good and clear, without a single mistake! but I got muddled at the very first words, and I stayed standing there, swaying in my bench, my heart heavy, not daring to raise my head.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
J’en étais là de mes réflexions, quand j’entendis appeler mon nom.
I had got that far in my thoughts when I heard my name called.
It was my turn to recite.
J’entendais M. Hamel qui me parlait :
I heard Monsieur Hamel speaking to me:
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Que | que | what (interr. pron.) |
| n | ne | not (neg. particle) — ne… pas, ne… point, ne… plus, ne… que (only); ne… rien — nothing; ne… guère — hardly |
| aurais-je | avoir | to have (v.); il y a — there is, there are; avoir beau + inf. — to do in vain; avoir peur — to be afraid |
| pas | pas | not (ne… pas) (adv.); step, pace (n., m.); pas même — not even |
| donné | donner | to give (v.) — donner un bal, to give a ball; donner des coups de corne — to butt |
| pour | pour | for; in order to (prep.); pour moi — as for me; pour sa sœur — as for her sister |
| pouvoir | pouvoir | can, to be able (v.); le pouvoir — power (n., m.); je ne puis — I cannot (literary) |
| dire | dire | to say, tell (v.); on aurait dit — you would have said; se dire — to say to oneself |
| tout | tout | quite, right, very (adv.) |
| au | au | to the, at the, in the (à + le) (contr.); au secours ! — help! |
| long | long | long; tall (adj.); le long de — along; le plus long — the longest |
| cette | ce | this, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what |
| fameuse | fameux | famous; (ironic) precious, fine (adj.) |
| règle | règle | rule (n., f.) |
| des | des | of the, from the (de + les) (contr.) |
| participes | participe | participle (n., m.) |
| bien | bien | very, quite (adv.) |
| haut | haut | loud, aloud (adv.) |
| clair | clair | clear; bright, light (adj.) |
| sans | sans | without (prep.); sans cesse — ceaselessly |
| une | un | a, an; one (art./num.); l’un… l’autre — the one… the other; les unes… les autres — some… others |
| faute | faute | fault; mistake (n., f.) |
| mais | mais | but (conj.) |
| je | je | I (pron.) |
| m | me | me, to me, myself (pron.) |
| embrouillai | embrouiller | to tangle (v.); s’embrouiller — to get muddled |
| aux | aux | to the, at the — à + les (contraction) |
| premiers | premier | first; former (adj.); la première — the opening night of a play; tête première — headlong |
| mots | mot | word (n., m.) |
| et | et | and (conj.) |
| restai | rester | to stay, remain (v.) |
| debout | debout | standing, upright (adv.) |
| à | à | to, at, in; with (prep.); c’est à… — it belongs to…; à boire — something to drink |
| balancer | balancer | to swing, sway (v.); se balancer — to rock, sway |
| dans | dans | in, into (prep.) |
| mon | mon | my (mon, ma, mes) (poss. adj.) |
| banc | banc | bench (n., m.) |
| le | le | the (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.) |
| cœur | cœur | heart (n., m.); de bon cœur — heartily, with a will; avoir le cœur meurtri — to be sick at heart; le cœur gros — heavy-hearted |
| gros | gros | big, large, thick (adj.); gros — large (adv.); le cœur gros — heavy-hearted |
| oser | oser | to dare (v.) |
| lever | lever | to raise, lift (v.); se lever — to get up, rise |
| tête | tête | head (n., f.); tête première — headlong |
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.