Chapter 1 of The Middle-Class Gentleman is here in full — 280 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Middle-Class Gentleman is here in full — 280 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois. Madame Jourdain, his wife. Lucile, their daughter. Nicole, maid. Cleonte, suitor of Lucile.
Chapter 1 of The Middle-Class Gentleman is here in full — 280 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
(according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning class and exploitive of the working class
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
a female domestic
From this reading “Nicole, maid.”
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
a man who courts a woman
From this reading “Cleonte, suitor of Lucile.”
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading “Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
(according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning class and exploitive of the working class
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cleonte, suitor of Lucile.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
a female human offspring
From this reading Lucile, their daughter.
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Madame Jourdain, his wife.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucile, their daughter.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading Madame Jourdain, his wife.
a female domestic
From this reading Nicole, maid.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nicole, maid.
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
a man who courts a woman
From this reading Cleonte, suitor of Lucile.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Lucile, their daughter.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Comedy-Ballet presented at Chambord, for the entertainment of the King, in the month of October 1670, and to the public in Paris for the first time at the Palais-Royal Theater 23 November 1670 Monsieur Jourdain, bourgeois.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Madame Jourdain, his wife.
Chapter 1 of The Middle-Class Gentleman by Molière holds 280 sentences, grouped into 56 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.
Chapter 1 holds 280 sentences of The Middle-Class Gentleman, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Middle-Class Gentleman by Molière exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 280 sentences, grouped into 56 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.
Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 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.
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.
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Yes. All 1693 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2992 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2992, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 141 minutes of reading across 339 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Middle-Class Gentleman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
