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The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Brothers Karamazov is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
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Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.
For the present I will only say that this landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estatewas a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.
But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.
Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.
At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Brothers Karamazov is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.
Line 2
For the present I will only say that thislandowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estatewas a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.
Line 3
But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.
Line 4
Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.
Line 5
At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

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.

abject adjective US /ˈæbdʒekt/

of the most contemptible kind

From this reading “For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.”

cash noun US /kæʃ/

money in the form of bills or coins

From this reading “Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.”

landowner noun US /ˈlændoʊnər/

a holder or proprietor of land

From this reading “For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.”

men's noun US /menz/

a public toilet for men

senseless adjective US /ˈsensləs/

not marked by the use of reason

From this reading “For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.”

thirteen noun US /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading “Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.”

tragic adjective US /ˈtrædʒɪk/

very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction

From this reading “Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.”

vicious adjective US /ˈvɪʃəs/

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading “For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.”

All words in this reading · 118

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 Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

abjectadjectiveUS /ˈæbdʒekt/

of the most contemptible kind

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

Alexey

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

apparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/

from appearances alone

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

capableadjectiveUS /ˈkeɪpəbəl/

(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

cashnounUS /kæʃ/

money in the form of bills or coins

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

describeverbUS /dɪˈskraɪb/

give a description of

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

dineverbUS /daɪn/

have supper; eat dinner

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

else

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

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

estatenounUS /ɪˈsteɪt/

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

fantasticaladjective

existing in fancy only

From this reading At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

fastenedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsənd/

firmly closed or secured

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

Fyodor

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

Fyodorovitch

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

instancenounUS /ˈɪnstəns/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

Karamazov

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

landownernounUS /ˈlændoʊnər/

a holder or proprietor of land

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

men'snounUS /menz/

a public toilet for men

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/

owed as a debt

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

ownernounUS /ˈoʊnər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

Pavlovitch

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

roubles

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

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

senselessadjectiveUS /ˈsensləs/

not marked by the use of reason

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

smallestadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːləst/

superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

tablesnounUS /ˈteɪbəlz/

plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

thirteennounUS /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

toadynoun

a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

From this reading Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men’s tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash.

tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/

very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

typenounUS /taɪp/

a subdivision of a particular kind of thing

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

viciousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪʃəs/

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

welladverbUS /wel/

(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 Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

worldlyadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrldli/

characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

From this reading But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading For the present I will only say that this “landowner”—for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate—was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless.

Chapter 1 of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 The Brothers Karamazov contain?

Chapter 1 holds 89 sentences of The Brothers Karamazov, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 The Brothers Karamazov?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 The Brothers Karamazov

Common questions about reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brothers Karamazov?

Yes. All 23728 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28054 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brothers Karamazov is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28054, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Brothers Karamazov take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 4746 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brothers Karamazov section by section

How to work through The Brothers Karamazov section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Brothers Karamazov to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Brothers Karamazov

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Brothers Karamazov, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Alexey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fyodorovitch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Karamazov
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brothers Karamazov; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.