One sentence of «Les Fées»
Elles étaient toutes deux si désagréables et si orgueilleuses, qu’on ne pouvait vivre avec elles.
They were both so disagreeable and so proud that no one could live with them.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters: the elder was so like her in temper and in face that whoever saw her saw the mother.
La cadette était le vrai portrait de son père pour la douceur et l’honnêteté.
The younger was the very image of her father in gentleness and courtesy.
As people naturally love their own likeness, this mother doted on her elder daughter and, at the same time, had a dreadful aversion to the younger.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Elles | elle | she, her; it (pron.) — elles, they, them (f.) |
| étaient | être | to be (v.); c’est — it is; also forms the past of some verbs: elle est venue — she came |
| toutes | tout | all, every; quite, very (adj./adv.); tout à coup — suddenly; tout de suite — at once; tout à fait — entirely; tout à l’heure — right away |
| deux | deux | two (num.); à deux mains — with both hands |
| si | si | if, whether (conj.); so (adv.) — si fort, so hard; yes (after a negative question); s’il vous plaît — please |
| désagréables | désagréable | disagreeable, unpleasant (adj.) |
| et | et | and (conj.) |
| orgueilleuses | orgueilleux | proud, haughty (adj.) |
| qu | que | that, which, whom; than; how…! (conj./rel. pron.); ne… que — only |
| on | on | one, people, they, someone (pron.) |
| 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) |
| vivre | vivre | to live (v.); vive… ! — long live…! |
| avec | avec | with (prep.) |
Read «Les Fées» in the room → Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. This scene asks for no account.