The Count of Monte Cristo — Page 5

Vocabulary

C'

s — Contraction of 'ce'; it, this (subject pronoun)

était

ay-teh — Was; third person singular imperfect of 'être'

un

uhn — A, an; indefinite article (masculine singular)

homme

ohm — Man; adult male person

de

duh — Of, from; very common French preposition

vingt-cinq

van-sank — Twenty-five; the number 25

à

ah — To, at; common preposition indicating direction or location

vingt-six

van-sees — Twenty-six; the number 26

ans

ahn — Years; used to express a person's age

au

oh — To the, at the; contraction of 'à le'

visage

vee-zahj — Face; the front part of a person's head

peu

puh — Little, not very; indicates small degree or amount

attrayant

ah-tray-yahn — Attractive, appealing; having pleasant or charming qualities

obséquieux

ob-say-kyuh — Obsequious; excessively eager to please superiors

envers

ahn-vair — Toward, with regard to; preposition indicating relation to someone

ses

say — His, her, its; possessive adjective (plural)

supérieurs

soo-pay-ryur — Superiors; those of higher rank or authority

insolent

an-so-lahn — Insolent; rude and disrespectful in behavior

subordonnés

soo-bor-do-nay — Subordinates; those of lower rank or status

et

ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction

cela

suh-lah — That, this; demonstrative pronoun referring to something

en

ahn — In, on; preposition indicating location or manner

plus

ploo — More, in addition; indicates addition or greater degree

sa

sah — His, her; possessive adjective (feminine singular)

position

po-zee-syohn — Position; rank, role, or place someone occupies

d'

d — Of, from; elided form of 'de' before vowel

agent

ah-zhahn — Agent; person acting on behalf of another

responsable

reh-spohn-sahbl — Responsible; accountable for duties or actions

bord

bor — Board; on board a ship or vessel

qui

kee — Who, which; relative or interrogative pronoun

est

ay — Is; third person singular present of 'être'

toujours

too-zhoor — Always, still; indicates continuity or habitual action

odieuse

o-dyuhz — Odious, hateful; extremely unpleasant or detestable

aux

oh — To the, for the; contraction of 'à les'

matelots

mat-lo — Sailors; ordinary seamen aboard a ship

le

luh — The; definite article (masculine singular)

faisait

fuh-zay — Made, caused; imperfect of 'faire' (third person singular)

détester

day-tes-tay — To detest, hate; to feel strong dislike toward

autant

oh-tahn — As much, as many; indicates equal degree or amount

l'

l — The; elided definite article before vowel or mute h

équipage

ay-kee-pahj — Crew; the team working aboard a ship

qu'

k — That, than, as; elided conjunction or pronoun

aimé

ay-may — Loved, liked; past participle of 'aimer'

Eh

ay — Hey, well; interjection to attract attention

bien

byaN — Well, good; common adverb expressing quality or affirmation

M.

muh-syuh — Mr.; abbreviation for 'Monsieur', title of address

dit

dee — Said; third person singular past of 'dire'

vous

voo — You; second person plural or formal pronoun

avez

ah-vay — Have; second person plural present of 'avoir'

appris

ah-pree — Learned; past participle of 'apprendre'

malheur

mah-lur — Misfortune, bad luck; an unfortunate or sad event

nous

noo — We, us; first person plural pronoun

a

ah — Has; third person singular present of 'avoir'

frappés

frah-pay — Struck, hit; past participle of 'frapper' (plural)

Oui

wee — Yes; affirmative response word

oui

wee — Yes; affirmative response word

pauvre

pohvr — Poor, unfortunate; expressing sympathy or lack of wealth

capitaine

kah-pee-ten — Captain; the commander of a ship or military unit

brave

brahv — Brave, good; courageous or worthy person

honnête

o-net — Honest; truthful and morally upright in conduct

Et

ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction linking clauses

marin

mah-raN — Sailor, mariner; person who works at sea

premier

pruh-myay — First, foremost; indicating highest rank or order

ordre

ordr — Order; rank, class, or level of quality

avait

ah-vay — Had; third person singular imperfect of 'avoir'

accompli

ah-kohm-plee — Accomplished, completed; past participle of 'accomplir'

long

lohn — Long; of great length or extended duration

honorable

o-no-rahbl — Honorable; deserving respect and high regard

service

sair-vees — Service; duty performed for a person or organization

comme

kohm — As, like; conjunction or preposition of comparison

il

eel — He, it; third person masculine singular pronoun

convenait

kohn-vuh-nay — Was fitting, suited; imperfect of 'convenir'

chargé

shar-zhay — Charged with, entrusted; responsible for important duties

des

day — Of the, some; partitive or plural indefinite article

intérêts

an-tay-ray — Interests; financial or personal stakes or concerns

une

oon — A, an; indefinite article (feminine singular)

maison

may-zohn — House, firm; a home or business establishment

aussi

oh-see — Also, as; indicating similarity or addition

importante

an-por-tahnt — Important; of great significance or consequence

que

kuh — That, than, as; conjunction or comparative particle

celle

sel — That one, the one; feminine demonstrative pronoun

Fils

fees — Son, sons; used in company names like 'Morrel & Fils'

répondit

ray-pohn-dee — Replied; third person singular simple past of 'répondre'

Mais

may — But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast

armateur

ar-mah-tur — Shipowner; person who owns or manages a ship

jetant

zhuh-tahn — Throwing, casting; present participle of 'jeter'

regard

ruh-gar — Look, glance; a gaze directed at someone or something

vers

vair — Toward; preposition indicating direction or approximate time

surveillait

soor-vay-yay — Was watching over; imperfect of 'surveiller'

mouillage

moo-yahj — Anchorage; a place where ships drop anchor

son

sohn — His, her, its; possessive adjective (masculine singular)

navire

nah-veer — Ship, vessel; a large boat for sea travel

me

muh — Me, to me; first person singular object pronoun

semble

sahm-bl — Seems, appears; third person singular of 'sembler'

n'

n — Not; elided negative particle used before vowel

pas

pah — Not; negative particle used with 'ne' or 'n'

besoin

buh-zwaN — Need; necessity or requirement for something

être

etr — To be; fundamental French auxiliary and linking verb

vieux

vyuh — Old; having lived or existed for a long time

dites

deet — Say, tell; second person plural imperative of 'dire'

pour

poor — For, in order to; preposition expressing purpose or benefit

comprendre

kohm-prahn-dr — To understand; to grasp the meaning of something

métier

may-tyay — Trade, craft, profession; one's skilled occupation

car

kar — Because, for; conjunction giving a reason or cause

notre

notr — Our; first person plural possessive adjective

ami

ah-mee — Friend; a person one has a bond of affection with

fond

fohn — Bottom, depth; here used in phrase 'au fond' (basically)

avoir

ah-vwar — To have; fundamental auxiliary and main verb

leçons

luh-sohn — Lessons; teachings or instructions from a teacher

personne

pair-son — Nobody, person; a human being or negative pronoun

lançant

lahn-sahn — Throwing, casting; present participle of 'lancer'

brillant

bree-yahn — Brilliant, gleaming; shining brightly or impressively clever

haine

en — Hatred; intense feeling of dislike or hostility

jeune

zhun — Young; of a relatively early age or youthful

la

lah — The; definite article (feminine singular)

jeunesse

zhuh-nes — Youth; the period or quality of being young

invariablement

an-var-yah-bluh-mahn — Invariably, always; without exception or variation

présomptueuse

pray-zomp-tyuz — Presumptuous; overconfident and arrogantly assuming too much

À

ah — At, to; preposition indicating time, place, or manner

peine

pen — Barely, hardly; used in 'à peine' meaning scarcely

avait-

ah-vay — Had; imperfect of 'avoir' in inverted question form

rendu

rahn-doo — Rendered, given; past participle of 'rendre'

dernier

dair-nyay — Last; final or most recent in a sequence

soupir

soo-peer — Sigh, breath; last breath or a deep exhalation

prit

pree — Took; third person singular simple past of 'prendre'

commandement

ko-mahnd-mahn — Command; authority or control over a vessel or troops

sans

sahn — Without; preposition indicating absence of something

consulter

kohn-sool-tay — To consult; to seek advice or opinion from someone

fit

fee — Made, caused; third person singular simple past of 'faire'

perdre

pairdr — To lose, waste; to fail to keep or use time

jour

zhoor — Day; a 24-hour period of time

demi

duh-mee — Half; one of two equal parts

île

eel — Island; a landmass surrounded by water

lieu

lyuh — Place; location or spot, used in 'au lieu de' (instead of)

mettre

metr — To put, set; to place something or set a course

cap

kap — Cape, course; heading of a ship, or geographical cape

directement

dee-rek-tuh-mahn — Directly; in a straight or immediate manner

sur

soor — On, upon; preposition indicating position above or target