The French reading room
One sentence of «La Dernière Classe»
Il ne pouvait pas achever sa phrase.
He could not finish his sentence.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
Mais quelque chose l’étouffait.
But something was choking him.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| pouvait | pouvoir | can, to be able (v.); le pouvoir — power (n., m.); je ne puis — I cannot (literary) |
| pas | pas | not (ne… pas) (adv.); step, pace (n., m.); pas même — not even |
| achever | achever | to finish, complete (v.) |
| 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 |
| phrase | phrase | sentence (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.