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The nameless castle
The nameless castle

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The nameless castle is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The nameless castle
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.
It was Marie's birthday.
From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.
On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.
She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.
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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 nameless castle

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The nameless castle is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.
/wʌn deɪ ɪn ðə jɪr fɔːrmd æn ɪkˈsepʃən tuː ɔːl ðə rest/
Line 2
It was Marie's birthday.
Line 3
From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.
/frʌm hɜːr ˈɜːrliəst ˈtʃaɪldhʊd ðɪs wʌn deɪ hæd bɪn ɪnˈtaɪərli hɜːr oʊn/
Line 4
On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.
Line 5
She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.
/ʃiː ˈɔːlweɪz lʊkt ˈfɔːrwərd wɪð ɡreɪt ˈpleʒər tuː ðɪs deɪ ənd meɪd fɔːr ɪt ɔːl sɔːrts ʌv plænz huːz əˈkɑːmplɪʃmənt wɑːz ekˈstriːmli ˌprɑːbləˈmætɪk/

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.

accomplishment noun US /əˈkɑːmplɪʃmənt/

the action of accomplishing something

From this reading “She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.”

birthday noun US /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading “It was Marie's birthday.”

childhood noun US /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading “From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.”

earliest adjective US /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading “From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.”

exception noun US /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading “One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.”

problematic adjective US /ˌprɑːbləˈmætɪk/

open to doubt or debate

From this reading “She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.”

sorts noun US /sɔːrts/

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading “She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.”

wont noun US /woʊnt/

an established custom

From this reading “On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.”

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.

accomplishmentnounUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃmənt/

the action of accomplishing something

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

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 One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading It was Marie's birthday.

childhoodnounUS /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

entirelyadverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪərli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/

well known or easily recognized

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

formedadjectiveUS /fɔːrmd/

having or given a form or shape

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was Marie's birthday.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

Ludwig

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

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

Marie's

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

From this reading It was Marie's birthday.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

plansnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

problematicadjectiveUS /ˌprɑːbləˈmætɪk/

open to doubt or debate

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

sortsnounUS /sɔːrts/

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

taughtverbUS /tɔːt/

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading From her earliest childhood this one day had been entirely her own.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was Marie's birthday.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading She always looked forward with great pleasure to this day, and made for it all sorts of plans whose accomplishment was extremely problematic.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

wontnounUS /woʊnt/

an established custom

From this reading On this day she addressed Ludwig with the familiar "thou," as she had been wont to do when he had taught her to walk.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading One day in the year formed an exception to all the rest.

Chapter 9 of The nameless castle by Mór Jókai holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 9 of The nameless castle contain?

Chapter 9 holds 195 sentences of The nameless castle, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The nameless castle by Mór Jókai exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 9 of The nameless castle?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 nameless castle

Common questions about reading The nameless castle by Mór Jókai on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The nameless castle?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The nameless castle is used?

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

How long does The nameless castle take to read?

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

How to read The nameless castle section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 nameless castle

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The nameless castle, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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