A farewell to arms

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A farewell to arms is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ernest Hemingway • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A farewell to arms

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.

The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/3

A farewell to arms Ernest Hemingway

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A farewell to arms is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

A farewell to arms

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A farewell to arms is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/3 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

/ɪn ðə leɪt ˈsʌmər ʌv ðæt jɪr wiː lɪvd ɪn ə haʊs ɪn ə ˈvɪlədʒ ðæt lʊkt əˈkrɔːs ðə ˈrɪvər ənd ðə pleɪn tuː ðə ˈmaʊntənz/

Line 2

In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

/ɪn ðə bed ʌv ðə ˈrɪvər ðer wɜːr ˈpebəlz ənd ˈboʊldərz draɪ ənd waɪt ɪn ðə sʌn ənd ðə ˈwɔːtər wɑːz klɪr ənd ˈswɪftli ˈmuːvɪŋ ənd bluː ɪn ðə ˈtʃænəlz/

Line 3

Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

/truːps went baɪ ðə haʊs ənd daʊn ðə roʊd ənd ðə dʌst ðeɪ reɪzd ˈpaʊdərd ðə liːvz ʌv ðə triːz/

Line 4

/ðə trʌŋks ʌv ðə triːz tuː wɜːr ˈdʌsti ənd ðə liːvz fel ˈɜːrli ðæt jɪr ənd wiː sɔː ðə truːps ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ əˈlɔːŋ ðə roʊd ənd ðə dʌst ˈraɪzɪŋ ənd liːvz stɜːrd baɪ ðə briːz ˈfɑːlɪŋ ənd ðə ˈsoʊldʒərz ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ ənd ˈæftərwərd ðə roʊd ber ənd waɪt ɪkˈsept fɔːr ðə liːvz/

Line 5

The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

/ðə pleɪn wɑːz rɪtʃ wɪð krɑːps ðer wɜːr ˈmeni ˈɔːrtʃərdz ʌv fruːt triːz ənd bɪˈɑːnd ðə pleɪn ðə ˈmaʊntənz wɜːr braʊn ənd ber/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

boulders noun US /ˈboʊldərz/

plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading “In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.”

channels noun US /ˈtʃænəlz/

official routes of communication

From this reading “In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.”

crops noun US /krɑːps/

plural of “crop” — the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading “The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.”

marching noun US /ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ/

the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)

From this reading “The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.”

orchards noun US /ˈɔːrtʃərdz/

plural of “orchard” — garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading “The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.”

pebbles noun US /ˈpebəlz/

plural of “pebble” — a small smooth rounded rock

From this reading “In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.”

powdered adjective US /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading “Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.”

trunks noun US /trʌŋks/

(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

along the road preposition + article + noun counted as “along … road”

In this reading “The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.”

swiftly moving adverb + adjective

In this reading “In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.”

soldiers marching noun + noun counted as “soldier marching”

fruit trees noun + noun counted as “fruit tree”

tree bearing edible fruit

In this reading “The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.”

across the river preposition + article + noun counted as “across … river”

In this reading “In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.”

late summer adjective + noun

In this reading “In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.”

lived in verb + particle counted as “live in”

live in the house where one works

In this reading “In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.”

looked across verb + particle counted as “look across”

be oriented in a certain direction

In this reading “In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.”

All words in this reading · 70

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

afterwardadverbUS /ˈæftərwərd/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

bouldersnounUS /ˈboʊldərz/

plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

channelsnounUS /ˈtʃænəlz/

official routes of communication

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

cropsnounUS /krɑːps/

plural of “crop” — the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

marchingnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ/

the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)

mountainsnounUS /ˈmaʊntənz/

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/

in motion

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

orchardsnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərdz/

plural of “orchard” — garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

pebblesnounUS /ˈpebəlz/

plural of “pebble” — a small smooth rounded rock

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

stirredadjectiveUS /stɜːrd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

TroopsnounUS /truːps/

soldiers collectively

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/

(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.

Chapter 1 of A farewell to arms by Ernest Hemingway holds 19 sentences, grouped into 4 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of A farewell to arms contain?

Chapter 1 holds 19 sentences of A farewell to arms, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A farewell to arms by Ernest Hemingway exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 19 sentences, grouped into 4 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of A farewell to arms?

Work through the 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 4 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A farewell to arms

Common questions about reading A farewell to arms by Ernest Hemingway on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A farewell to arms?

Yes. All 9383 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75201 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #75201, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A farewell to arms

Words and structures a reader meets early in A farewell to arms, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Summer: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A farewell to arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lived: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A farewell to arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A farewell to arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Village: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A farewell to arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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