B1 · 3,299 words · French

Le Petit Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's story explores profound themes of love, relationships, and the essence of life through the adventures of a young boy from a small planet. The young traveler travels the universe, meeting various inhabitants, each of whom teaches him important lessons about human nature and the often misguided priorities of the adult world. His encounters with characters such as a king, a vain man, a drunkard, and a businessman highlight the emptiness of power, vanity, addiction, and materialism. On Earth, the young traveler learns crucial lessons about love and responsibility from a fox and reflects on the invisible, essential qualities that matter most in life. These insights profoundly impact the aviator he befriends, helping him rediscover the importance of seeing with the heart and cherishing meaningful relationships. The story's timeless wisdom invites readers to appreciate life's simple joys and the invisible connections that unite us all.

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Words you’ll meet

The words readers of this text looked up most, each with its meaning and the line it comes from.

le récit / lə ʀe.si /noun

story

Le récit commence.

The story begins.

histoirenarrationconte

souvent / su.vɑ̃ /adverb

often

les priorités souvent erronées des adultes.

the often misguided priorities of adults.

la honte / la ɔ̃t /noun

shame

un ivrogne qui boit pour oublier sa honte

a drunkard who drinks to forget his shame

déshonneuropprobrepudeurconfusion

rencontres / ʁɑ̃.kɔ̃tʁ /noun

meetings

Chacune de ces rencontres lui a appris des leçons importantes.

Each of these meetings taught him important lessons.

rendez-vousentrevueassemblée

un aviateur / œ̃ avjatœʁ /noun

aviator

L'histoire commence avec un aviateur...

The story begins with an aviator...

piloteaéronaute

devenu / dəvəny /verb

became

comment il est devenu pilote.

how he became a pilot.

échoué / eʃwe /verb

stranded

Le récit commence avec un pilote échoué dans le désert du Sahara.

The story begins with a pilot stranded in the Sahara desert.

fournissant / fuʁ.ni.sɑ̃ /verb

providing

Ses expériences extraordinaires en tant qu'aviateur ont profondément influencé son écriture, fournissant un décor riche et vivant pour ses récits.

His extraordinary experiences as an aviator have profoundly influenced his writing, providing a rich and vivid backdrop for his stories.

la nature / la na.tyʁ /noun

nature

sa vanité et sa nature exigeante le confondent.

His vanity and demanding nature confuse him.

profondes / pʁɔ.fɔ̃d /adjective

profoundes

ses contributions littéraires profondes

his profound literary contributions

le renom / lə ʁənɔ̃ /noun

renown

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry était un auteur et aviateur français de renom.