The French reading room
One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
Alors, d’une chose à l’autre, M. Hamel se mit à nous parler de la langue française, disant que c’était la plus belle langue du monde, la plus claire, la plus solide : qu’il fallait la garder entre nous et ne jamais l’oublier, parce que, quand un peuple tombe esclave, tant qu’il tient bien sa langue, c’est comme s’il tenait la clef de sa prison…
Then, from one thing to another, Monsieur Hamel began to talk to us about the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world, the clearest, the most solid: that we must keep it among ourselves and never forget it, because when a people falls into slavery, so long as it holds fast to its language, it is as if it held the key to its prison…
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
Puis il prit une grammaire et nous lut notre leçon.
Then he took a grammar and read us our lesson.
J’étais étonné de voir comme je comprenais.
I was astonished to see how well I understood.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alors | alors | then, so (adv.) |
| d | de | of, from; some, any (prep./partitive art.) — du pain, de l’eau; pas de — no, not any; de… en… — from… to… |
| une | un | a, an; one (art./num.); l’un… l’autre — the one… the other; les unes… les autres — some… others |
| chose | chose | thing (n., f.) — autre chose, something else; la chose — the matter |
| à | à | to, at, in; with (prep.); c’est à… — it belongs to…; à boire — something to drink |
| l | le | the (le, la, l’, les); him, her, it, them — as an object (art./pron.) |
| autre | autre | other (adj./pron.); l’un après l’autre — one after another; une autre — someone else; autre chose — anything else |
| M | monsieur | Mr, Monsieur; sir, gentleman (n., m.; pl. messieurs); M. — short for Monsieur; monsieur le marquis — my lord Marquis |
| Hamel | Hamel | Monsieur Hamel, the village schoolmaster (proper name) |
| se | se | himself, herself, itself, themselves; each other (reflexive pron.); s’ also stands for si — if — in s’il, s’ils |
| mit | mettre | to begin, set about (se mettre à) (v.) |
| nous | nous | us, to us (pron.) |
| parler | parler | to speak, talk (v.) |
| langue | langue | language, tongue (n., f.) |
| française | français | French (adj.); French — the language (n., m.); un Français — a Frenchman |
| disant | dire | to say, tell (v.); on aurait dit — you would have said; se dire — to say to oneself |
| que | que | that, which, whom; than; how…! (conj./rel. pron.); ne… que — only |
| c | ce | this, that; these, those (dem. adj.); it, that (pron.) — c’est, it is; ce qui, ce que — what |
| était | être | to be (v.); c’est — it is; also forms the past of some verbs: elle est venue — she came |
| plus | plus | more; most (adv.) — ne… plus, no longer; le plus, the most; plus de — more than (plus de trois jours); with no verb, no more (plus de corde !); plus tôt — sooner |
| belle | beau | beautiful, handsome; fine (adj.) — bel before a vowel; un beau matin — one fine morning; à belles dents — with gusto |
| du | du | of the, from the (de + le) (contr.) |
| monde | monde | world; people (n., m.) — du monde, in the world; tout le monde — everyone |
| claire | clair | clear; bright, light (adj.) |
| solide | solide | solid, strong (adj.) |
| il | il | it (impersonal pron.) |
| fallait | falloir | to be necessary (v., impers.); il faut — one must; il fallut — it was necessary; il fallait — one had to; il leur faut — they need |
| la | le | her, it (pron.) |
| garder | garder | to keep (v.) |
| entre | entre | between, among (prep.); entre autres choses — among other things; entre nous — between ourselves; il entre — he goes in (from entrer) |
| nous | nous | us, ourselves (stressed pron.) |
| et | et | and (conj.) |
| ne | ne | not (neg. particle) — ne… pas, ne… point, ne… plus, ne… que (only); ne… rien — nothing; ne… guère — hardly |
| jamais | jamais | never; ever (adv.); ne… jamais — never |
| oublier | oublier | to forget (v.) |
| parce | parce que | because (conj.) |
| quand | quand | when (conj.) |
| peuple | peuple | people, nation (n., m.) |
| tombe | tomber | to fall (v.); tomber dans — to come upon |
| esclave | esclave | slave (n., m./f.); tomber esclave — to fall into slavery |
| tant | tant | so much, so many (adv.); tant que — as much as |
| il | il | he; it (il, ils — they) (pron.); il y a — there is; il faut — one must |
| tient | tenir | to hold, keep (v.); tiens! tenez! — here! look!; se tenir — to stand, keep oneself; tenir à — to care about, be keen on |
| bien | bien | well; very, quite; indeed (adv.) — bien aise, very glad; bien autre chose — something quite different; bien plus — far more |
| 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 |
| comme | comme | like, as; how…! (conj./adv.); comme si — as if |
| s | si | if (conj.) |
| clef | clef | key (n., f.) — also spelled clé |
| prison | prison | prison (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.