Language through Literature

The Death of a Clerk


Думал, думал, и никак не выдумал этого письма.

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He thought and thought, and could in no way think that letter up.

Where it stands

Так думал Червяков, идя домой. So thought Chervyakov as he walked home.

Письма генералу он не написал. The letter to the general he did not write.

Пришлось на другой день идти самому объяснять. He had to go the next day and explain in person.

The words in this sentence

ду́мал
he thought (past m of думать) — думать
и
and; also, even
ника́к
in no way, by no means
не
not
вы́думал
invented, made up (past m) — выдумать
э́того
this (gen sg) — этот
пи́сьма
letters (nom/acc pl) or letter (gen sg) — письмо

А. П. Чехов, «Смерть чиновника», 1883 · sentence 37 of 46

This is one sentence of «Смерть чиновника» — 46 sentences long, and the whole story reads like this: every word glossed where it stands, the English out of your eyeline until you ask for it. Free, no account.

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