Germinal

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Germinal is here in full — 275 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Émile Zola • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

At Jean-Bart, Catherine had already been at work for an hour, pushing trams as far as the relays; and she was soaked in such a bath of perspiration that she stopped a moment to wipe her face.

At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

"What's up?" he shouted.

When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXV Reading 1/55

Germinal

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Germinal is here in full — 275 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

At Jean-Bart, Catherine had already been at work for an hour, pushing trams as far as the relays; and she was soaked in such a bath of perspiration that she stopped a moment to wipe her face.

Line 2

At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

Line 3

The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

/ðə læmps bɜːrnt ˈbædli ənd ðə koʊl dʌst meɪd ɪt ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl tuː siː/

Line 4

"What's up?" he shouted.

Line 5

When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

/wen ʃiː ˈænsərd ðæt ʃiː wɑːz ʃʊr ʃiː wʊd melt ənd ðæt hɜːr hɑːrt wɑːz ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː stɑːp hiː rɪˈplaɪd ˈfjʊriəsli/

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.

hammering noun US /ˈhæmərɪŋ/

the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

From this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

mates noun US /meɪts/

a pair of people who live together

From this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

melt verb US /melt/

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

From this reading “When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:”

relays noun US /ˈriːleɪz/

plural of “relay” — the act of passing something along from one person or group to another

From this reading “At Jean-Bart, Catherine had already been at work for an hour, pushing trams as far as the relays; and she was soaked in such a bath of perspiration that she stopped a moment to wipe her face.”

rumble verb US /ˈrʌmbəl/

make a low noise

From this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

seam noun US /siːm/

joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces

From this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

soaked adjective US /soʊkt/

very drunk

trams noun US /træmz/

plural of “tram” — a conveyance that transports passengers or freight in carriers suspended from cables and supported by a series of towers

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.

At the bottom preposition + article + noun counted as “at … bottom”

In this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

rumble of verb + particle

In this reading “At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.”

for an hour preposition + article + noun counted as “for … hour”

In this reading “At Jean-Bart, Catherine had already been at work for an hour, pushing trams as far as the relays; and she was soaked in such a bath of perspiration that she stopped a moment to wipe her face.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 At Jean-Bart, Catherine had already been at work for an hour, pushing trams as far as the relays; and she was soaked in such a bath of perspiration that she stopped a moment to wipe her face.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

badlyadverbUS /ˈbædli/

to a severe or serious degree

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

bathnounUS /bæθ/

a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

CatherinenounUS /ˈkæθərən/

first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)

Chaval

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

coalnounUS /koʊl/

fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/

the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

furiouslyadverbUS /ˈfjʊriəsli/

(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hammeringnounUS /ˈhæmərɪŋ/

the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

Jean-Bart

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

lampsnounUS /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

matesnounUS /meɪts/

a pair of people who live together

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

meltverbUS /melt/

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

perspirationnounUS /ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/

the act of applying force in order to move something away

relaysnounUS /ˈriːleɪz/

plural of “relay” — the act of passing something along from one person or group to another

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

rumbleverbUS /ˈrʌmbəl/

make a low noise

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

seamnounUS /siːm/

joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The lamps burnt badly, and the coal dust made it impossible to see.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading "What's up?" he shouted.

soakedadjectiveUS /soʊkt/

very drunk

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tramsnounUS /træmz/

plural of “tram” — a conveyance that transports passengers or freight in carriers suspended from cables and supported by a series of towers

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "What's up?" he shouted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

What's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "What's up?" he shouted.

wheelsnounUS /wiːlz/

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

wipeverbUS /waɪp/

rub with a circular motion

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading At the bottom of the cutting, where he was hammering at the seam with his mates, Chaval was astonished when he no longer heard the rumble of the wheels.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading When she answered that she was sure she would melt, and that her heart was going to stop, he replied furiously:

Chapter 25 of Germinal by Émile Zola holds 275 sentences, grouped into 55 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 25 of Germinal contain?

Chapter 25 holds 275 sentences of Germinal, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Germinal by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 275 sentences, grouped into 55 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 25 of Germinal?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 Germinal

Common questions about reading Germinal by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Germinal?

Yes. All 10162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56528 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Germinal is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56528, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Germinal take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2033 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Germinal

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Chapter XXV

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