Trilby

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Trilby is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Du Maurier • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

_This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/84

Trilby

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Trilby is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

_This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

Line 2

Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

Line 3

It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

Line 4

The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

/ðə bɪɡ ˈstuːdioʊ ˈwɪndoʊ wɑːz ˈoʊ.pən æt ðə tɑːp ənd let ɪn ə ˈplezənt briːz frʌm ðə ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

Line 5

Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

/θɪŋz wɜːr bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː lʊk ˈʃɪpʃeɪp æt læst/

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.

blonde noun US /blɑːnd/

a person with fair skin and hair

From this reading “Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"”

chant verb US /tʃænt/

recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

covers noun US /ˈkʌvərz/

plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

From this reading “_This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!”

est noun US /est/

standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States

northwest noun US /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading “The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.”

shipshape adjective US /ˈʃɪpʃeɪp/

of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder

From this reading “Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.”

studio noun US /ˈstuːdioʊ/

workplace for the teaching or practice of an art

From this reading “The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.”

tour noun US /tʊr/

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

for sale preposition + noun

available for purchase

In this reading “_This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!”

at the top preposition + article + noun counted as “at … top”

In this reading “The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.”

from the northwest preposition + article + noun counted as “from … northwest”

In this reading “The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/

the month following March and preceding May

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

aunounUS /oʊ/

a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

blondenounUS /blɑːnd/

a person with fair skin and hair

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

bonnetnounUS /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

chantverbUS /tʃænt/

recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

connaît

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

coversnounUS /ˈkʌvərz/

plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

d'amour

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

Elle

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

estnounUS /est/

standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

gai

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

Hélas

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

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/

past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

l'on

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

Landérirette

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

Mimi

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

monde

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

n'a

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

northwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/

the northwestern region of the United States

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

Pinson

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

qu'un

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

qu'une

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

que

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

robenounUS /roʊb/

any loose flowing garment

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

sais

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

salenounUS /seɪl/

a particular instance of selling

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

shipshapeadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪpʃeɪp/

of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

showeryadjective

(of weather) wet by periods of rain

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

studionounUS /ˈstuːdioʊ/

workplace for the teaching or practice of an art

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

ThingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

tournounUS /tʊr/

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

Triste

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

unnounUS /ʌn/

an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

une

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

volumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading _This volume is issued for sale in paper covers only._ _"Hélas!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a fine, sunny, showery day in April.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Things were beginning to look shipshape at last.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The big studio window was open at the top, and let in a pleasant breeze from the northwest.

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

From this reading Je sais un chant d'amour, Triste et gai, tour à tour!"_ "Mimi Pinson est une blonde, Une blonde que l'on connaît; Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde, Landérirette! et qu'un bonnet!"

Chapter 1 of Trilby by George Du Maurier holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Trilby contain?

Chapter 1 holds 423 sentences of Trilby, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Trilby by George Du Maurier exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Trilby?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 Trilby

Common questions about reading Trilby by George Du Maurier on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Trilby?

Yes. All 4480 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39858 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Trilby is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39858, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Trilby take to read?

About 373 minutes of reading across 896 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Trilby section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 11 chapters of Trilby to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Trilby

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

Volume: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trilby; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Issued: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trilby; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Paper: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trilby; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Covers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trilby; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

What does chapter 1 of Trilby contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Trilby?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Trilby

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Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in Trilby