Language through Literature

The Malefactor


— Коли б не нужна была, не отвинчивал бы, — хрипит Денис, косясь на потолок.

Tap any word.

Show the English

— If I hadn’t needed it, I wouldn’t have unscrewed it, — rasps Denis, casting a sidelong glance at the ceiling.

The words in this sentence

ко́ли
if, since (arch./colloq.)
б
would (conditional particle, short for бы)
не
not
нужна́
is needed (short f of нужный) — нужный
была́
was (past f of быть) — быть
отви́нчивал
he was unscrewing (past m) — отвинчивать
бы
would (conditional particle)
хрипи́т
wheezes, rasps (3sg) — хрипеть
Дени́с
Denis (name)
кося́сь
looking askance, squinting (gerund) — коситься
на
on, onto; at
потоло́к
ceiling

А. П. Чехов, «Злоумышленник», 1885 · sentence 10 of 73

This is one sentence of «Злоумышленник» — 73 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.

Open «Злоумышленник» in the reader → Read it whole, English under every line →