Chapter 5 of Father Goriot is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Father Goriot is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene. “Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin. “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?” “M. Goriot?” the student cried. “What is it?” asked the old man.
Chapter 5 of Father Goriot is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading ““Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading ““M. Goriot?” the student cried.”
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading ““Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.”
Austrian general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession (1663-1736)
From this reading ““Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.”
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading ““Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading ““Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?””
a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading ““M. Goriot?” the student cried.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading ““Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “M. Goriot?” the student cried.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
Austrian general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession (1663-1736)
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is it?” asked the old man.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “What is it?” asked the old man.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading “M. Goriot?” the student cried.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Aha! there you are!” answered Vautrin.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is it?” asked the old man.
which person or people
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Old Father Goriot there knew it quite well! and why should I not know it too?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Who the devil could have told you her name, M. Vautrin?” asked Eugene.
Chapter 5 of Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 holds 148 sentences of Father Goriot, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 5 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 Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5569 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1237 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1237, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 464 minutes of reading across 1114 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Father Goriot section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Father Goriot 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 Father Goriot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
