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The Inferno
The Inferno

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Inferno is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Inferno
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.
It was larger and more comfortable.
They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.
"Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.
You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.
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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.

The Inferno

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Inferno is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.
/ðə ˈwʊmən huː hæd bɪn kənˈfaɪnd wɑːz muːvd wɪð ˈekskwəzət ker ˈɪntuː ðə nekst ruːm wɪtʃ ʃiː hæd ˈɑːkjəpaɪd ˈpriːviəsli/
Line 2
It was larger and more comfortable.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈlɑːrdʒər ənd mɔːr ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/
Line 3
They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.
/ðeɪ kliːnd ðə ruːm frʌm tɑːp tuː ˈbɑːtəm ənd aɪ sɔː ˈænə ənd ˈfɪləp ˈsiːtɪd ɪn ðə ruːm əˈɡen/
Line 4
"Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.
/teɪk ker ˈfɪləp ˈænə wɑːz ˈseɪɪŋ juː duː nɑːt ˌʌndərˈstænd ðə ˈkrɪstʃən rɪˈlɪdʒən/
Line 5
You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.
/juː ˈrɪli duː nɑːt noʊ ɪɡˈzæktli wʌt ɪt ɪz/

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.

Anna noun US /ˈænə/

a former copper coin of Pakistan and India

From this reading “They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.”

cleaned verb US /kliːnd/

past form of “clean” — make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from

From this reading “They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.”

comfortable adjective US /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading “It was larger and more comfortable.”

confined adjective US /kənˈfaɪnd/

not invading healthy tissue

From this reading “The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.”

exquisite adjective US /ˈekskwəzət/

intense or sharp

From this reading “The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.”

larger adjective US /ˈlɑːrdʒər/

large or big relative to something else

From this reading “It was larger and more comfortable.”

previously adverb US /ˈpriːviəsli/

at an earlier time or formerly

From this reading “The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.”

religion noun US /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading “"Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was larger and more comfortable.

AnnanounUS /ˈænə/

a former copper coin of Pakistan and India

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

cleanedverbUS /kliːnd/

past form of “clean” — make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading It was larger and more comfortable.

confinedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaɪnd/

not invading healthy tissue

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.

exquisiteadjectiveUS /ˈekskwəzət/

intense or sharp

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was larger and more comfortable.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.

largeradjectiveUS /ˈlɑːrdʒər/

large or big relative to something else

From this reading It was larger and more comfortable.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading It was larger and more comfortable.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/

at an earlier time or formerly

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.

religionnounUS /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading They cleaned the room from top to bottom, and I saw Anna and Philip seated in the room again.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You really do not know /exactly/ what it is.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The woman who had been confined was moved with exquisite care into the next room, which she had occupied previously.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Take care, Philip," Anna was saying, "you do not understand the Christian religion.

Chapter 11 of The Inferno by Henri Barbusse holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 11 of The Inferno contain?

Chapter 11 holds 153 sentences of The Inferno, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Inferno by Henri Barbusse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 11 of The Inferno?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Inferno

Common questions about reading The Inferno by Henri Barbusse on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Inferno?

Yes. All 3518 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12414 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Inferno is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12414, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Inferno take to read?

About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Inferno section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Inferno 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 Inferno

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

Landlady
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inferno; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Madame
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inferno; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lemercier
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inferno; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inferno; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.