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Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)
Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Choderlos de Laclos • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.
Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.
A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.
Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:
NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.
/ˈveriəbəl ˈspelɪŋ ənd ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən hæv bɪn rɪˈteɪnd/
Line 2
Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.
/ˈmaɪnər ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz hæv bɪn ˈsaɪləntli rɪˈperd/
Line 3
A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.
/ə lɪst ʌv ðə ˈtʃeɪndʒəz meɪd kæn biː faʊnd æt ðə end ʌv ðə bʊk/
Line 4
Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:
/ˈfɔːrmætɪŋ ənd ˈspeʃəl ˈkærəktərz ɑːr ˈɪndəkeɪtəd æz ˈfɑːloʊz/
Line 5
NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

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.

Formatting noun US /ˈfɔːrmætɪŋ/

the organization of information according to preset specifications (usually for computer processing)

From this reading “Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gallic adjective US /ˈɡælɪk/

of or pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls

From this reading “NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hyphenation noun US /ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən/

division of a word especially at the end of a line on a page

From this reading “Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inconsistencies noun US /ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz/

plural of “inconsistency” — the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

From this reading “Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
punctuation noun US /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading “Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
realism noun US /ˈriːəlɪzəm/

the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth

From this reading “NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Stendhal noun US /ˈstendɑːl/

French writer whose novels were the first to feature psychological analysis of the character (1783-1842)

From this reading “NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Variable adjective US /ˈveriəbəl/

liable to or capable of change

From this reading “Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

PRESENT EDITION verb + noun

In this reading “NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.”

365 times in 426,211 chapters
at the end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.”

65,688 times in 426,211 chapters
list of verb + particle

In this reading “A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.”

14,921 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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 A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CenturynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/

plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charactersnounUS /ˈkærəktərz/

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHODERLOS

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Pending verification
DEnounUS /diː/

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EDITIONnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FormattingnounUS /ˈfɔːrmætɪŋ/

the organization of information according to preset specifications (usually for computer processing)

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GallicadjectiveUS /ˈɡælɪk/

of or pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hyphenationnounUS /ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən/

division of a word especially at the end of a line on a page

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inconsistenciesnounUS /ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz/

plural of “inconsistency” — the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

From this reading Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indicatedverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtəd/

past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
justlyadverbUS /ˈdʒʌstli/

with honesty

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LACLOS

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Pending verification
listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MinoradjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/

of lesser importance or stature or rank

From this reading Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NOTEnounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PRESENTverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
punctuationnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
realismnounUS /ˈriːəlɪzəm/

the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repairedverbUS /rɪˈperd/

past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

From this reading Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retainedadjectiveUS /rɪˈteɪnd/

continued in your keeping or use or memory

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RichardsonnounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdsən/

United States architect (1838-1886)

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
silentlyadverbUS /ˈsaɪləntli/

without speaking

From this reading Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
specialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StendhalnounUS /ˈstendɑːl/

French writer whose novels were the first to feature psychological analysis of the character (1783-1842)

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VariableadjectiveUS /ˈveriəbəl/

liable to or capable of change

From this reading Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
XVIIIth

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

From this reading NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION CHODERLOS DE LACLOS was the Gallic Richardson of the XVIIIth Century; and he might more justly than Stendhal be called the father of French realism.

Pending verification

Chapter 1 of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) by Choderlos de Laclos holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 1 holds 419 sentences of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) by Choderlos de Laclos exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)

Common questions about reading Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) by Choderlos de Laclos on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2) section by section

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Vocabulary met early in Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2), divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2), divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Les liaisons dangereuses, volume 1 (of 2), divided into 5-sentence reading sections.