Chapter XI
“Do you mind if I smoke?” he said. “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.” He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe. She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers. They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
The Prussian Officer
Chapter XI
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
“Do
you
mind
if
I
smoke?”
he
said.
“Perhaps
I
shall
be
able
to
see
things
more
clearly.”
He
sat
down
beside
her
again,
filling
a
pipe.
She
watched
his
hands
with
the
fine
strong
fingers.
They
had
always
inclined
to
tremble
slightly.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
“Do
you
mind
if
I
smoke?”
he
said.
Line 2
“Perhaps
I
shall
be
able
to
see
things
more
clearly.”
Line 3
He
sat
down
beside
her
again,
filling
a
pipe.
Line 4
She
watched
his
hands
with
the
fine
strong
fingers.
Line 5
They
had
always
inclined
to
tremble
slightly.
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Again
noun
US /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.”
Beside
preposition
US /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading “He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.”
Fine
noun
US /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.”
Hands
plural noun
US /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading “She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.”
Mind
noun
US /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.”
Perhaps
noun
US /perhaps/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.””
Pipe
noun
US /pipe/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.”
Shall
modal verb
US /ʃæl/
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading ““Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.””
All words in this reading · 40
Every word is available to listen to. 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 He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
able
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
clearly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
filling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
fingers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
inclined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
Perhaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
pipe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat down beside her again, filling a pipe.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
slightly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Perhaps I shall be able to see things more clearly.”
tremble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had always inclined to tremble slightly.
watched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She watched his hands with the fine strong fingers.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you mind if I smoke?” he said.