L'Assommoir

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of L'Assommoir is here in full — 566 sentences across 114 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

GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

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 II Reading 1/113

L'Assommoir Émile Zola

Chapter II

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of L'Assommoir is here in full — 566 sentences across 114 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir. Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter. Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat. Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart. The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

L'Assommoir

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of L'Assommoir is here in full — 566 sentences across 114 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/113 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

Line 2

Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

Line 3

Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

/hɜːr hjuːdʒ ˈbæskət wɑːz ɑːn ðə flɔːr bæk ʌv ðə ˈlɪtəl ˈteɪbəl wer ðeɪ sæt/

Line 4

Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

Line 5

The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

/ðə saɪn bɔːr ðə wʌn ˈsɪŋɡəl wɜːrd ɪn lɔːŋ bluː ˈletərz/

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.

basket noun US /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading “Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.”

Boulevard noun US /ˈbʊləvɑːrd/

a wide street or thoroughfare

From this reading “Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.”

corners noun US /ˈkɔːrnərz/

plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area

From this reading “Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.”

des noun US /des/

a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry

From this reading “Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.”

linen noun US /ˈlɪnən/

a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant

From this reading “Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.”

smoking noun US /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading “Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.”

sunny adjective US /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading “GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.”

Tavern noun US /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading “Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

Assommoir

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

basketnounUS /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

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

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

boreverbUS /bɔːr/

cause to be bored

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

BoulevardnounUS /ˈbʊləvɑːrd/

a wide street or thoroughfare

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

brandied

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

Colombe's

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

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/

plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

COUPEAU

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

desnounUS /des/

a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

eatingnounUS /ˈiːtɪŋ/

the act of consuming food

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

GERVAISE

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

half-past

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

hugeadjectiveUS /hjuːdʒ/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

linennounUS /ˈlɪnən/

a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

Poissonniers

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

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

Rochechouart

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

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

RuenounUS /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

TavernnounUS /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading Father Colombe's Tavern, known as the Assommoir, was on the corners of the Rue des Poissonniers and of the Boulevard de Rochechouart.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

tinworker

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading GERVAISE AND COUPEAU Three weeks later, about half-past eleven one fine sunny morning, Gervaise and Coupeau, the tinworker, were eating some brandied fruit at the Assommoir.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Her huge basket was on the floor, back of the little table where they sat.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Coupeau, who was smoking outside, had seen her as she crossed the street with her linen and compelled her to enter.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The sign bore the one single word in long, blue letters:

Chapter 2 of L'Assommoir by Émile Zola holds 566 sentences, grouped into 114 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 2 of L'Assommoir contain?

Chapter 2 holds 566 sentences of L'Assommoir, unabridged, divided into 114 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of L'Assommoir by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 566 sentences, grouped into 114 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 2 of L'Assommoir?

Work through the 114 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 114 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.

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Vocabulary met early in L'Assommoir

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Chapter II · Chapter 2

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