Chapter 17 of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten. Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes. But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.” Autumn was at hand. The first strong wind had risen.
Chapter 17 of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
at or in or to any place
From this reading “Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.”
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading “Autumn was at hand.”
tired of the world
From this reading ““It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.”
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.””
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading “Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.”
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading “Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.”
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading “The first strong wind had risen.”
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading ““It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.”
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.
In this reading “But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.””
In this reading “The first strong wind had risen.”
In this reading ““It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.”
In this reading “Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.”
simultaneously
In this reading “Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.”
close in space; within reach
In this reading “Autumn was at hand.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
at or in or to any place
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading Autumn was at hand.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
tired of the world
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
divisible by two
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first strong wind had risen.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The first strong wind had risen.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Autumn was at hand.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
immediately past
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
and nothing more
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading The first strong wind had risen.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The first strong wind had risen.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Autumn was at hand.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading But I must confess that I used to be bored sometimes--only not in the last few weeks.”
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The first strong wind had risen.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading “It is wonderful how one doesn’t get bored, here at the seashore, Morten.
an affirmative
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Imagine lying anywhere else for hours at a time, flat on your back, doing nothing, not even thinking--” “Yes.
Chapter 17 of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 by Thomas Mann holds 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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.
Chapter 17 holds 82 sentences of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 by Thomas Mann exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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.
Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.
Common questions about reading Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 by Thomas Mann on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7148 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72961 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72961, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 595 minutes of reading across 1430 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
