Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet larger than himself, and who had need of a friend. At sunset, the sky around his tiny world turned the color of honey. He listened to the wind cross the craters and wondered whether, somewhere beyond the bright horizon, another traveler . So he opened his book and left one page blank—for the story they might one day write together.
Contauri
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Read real stories without breaking the spell. One tap reveals what a word means here, in this sentence, so the story keeps moving.
A Story Among Stars
Chapter I
12
Un cuento entre estrellas
Capítulo I
12
Un conte entre estels
Capítol I
12
Érase una vez un pequeño príncipe que vivía en un planeta más grande que él, y que tenía necesidad de un amigo. Al atardecer, el cielo alrededor de su pequeño mundo se volvía color miel. Escuchaba al viento cruzar los cráteres y se preguntaba si, más allá del horizonte brillante, otro viajero . Entonces abría su libro y dejaba una página en blanco para la historia que quizá escribirían juntos.
Havia una vegada un petit príncep que vivia en un planeta tan petit com ell, i que necessitava un amic. Al capvespre, el cel al voltant del seu petit món es tornava color de mel. Escoltava el vent travessar els cràters i es preguntava si, més enllà de l’horitzó brillant, un altre viatger . Llavors obria el llibre i deixava una pàgina en blanc per a la història que potser escriurien plegats.
was listening too
también estaba escuchando
Verb phrasePast continuous plus “too”: someone else might have been listening as well.
Whole sentence
He listened to the wind cross the craters and wondered whether, somewhere beyond the bright horizon, another traveler was listening too.
Escuchaba al viento cruzar los cráteres y se preguntaba si, más allá del horizonte brillante, otro viajero también estaría escuchando.
The rules used
was listening
Past continuous (be + -ing)—an action underway in that moment.
too
Means “also,” usually after the verb phrase.
Good to know
In stories, past continuous often paints a background scene—what might have been happening.
también estaría escuchando
would also be listening
Verb phraseA guess in progress: someone else might be listening right then, too.
Whole sentence
Escuchaba al viento cruzar los cráteres y se preguntaba si, más allá del horizonte brillante, otro viajero también estaría escuchando.
He listened to the wind cross the craters and wondered whether, somewhere beyond the bright horizon, another traveler was listening too.
The rules used
estaría
Conditional of estar—marks a possibility, not a known fact.
estar escuchando
Progressive: estar + gerund for an action in progress.
Good to know
También usually sits before the verb phrase it modifies: también estaría…
també estaria escoltant
would also be listening
Sintagma verbalA guess in progress: someone else might be listening right then, too.
Whole sentence
Escoltava el vent travessar els cràters i es preguntava si, més enllà de l’horitzó brillant, un altre viatger també estaria escoltant.
He listened to the wind cross the craters and wondered whether, somewhere beyond the bright horizon, another traveler was listening too.
The rules used
estaria
Conditional of estar—marks a possibility, not a known fact.
estar escoltant
Progressive: estar + gerund for an action in progress.
Good to know
També usually comes before the verb phrase it modifies: també estaria…
scarcely
apenas / casi no
AdverbOnly just; by a very small margin—often understates how close something is.
In this sentence
…who lived on a planet scarcely larger than himself…
Whole sentence
Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet scarcely larger than himself, and who had need of a friend.
Érase una vez un pequeño príncipe que vivía en un planeta apenas más grande que él, y que tenía necesidad de un amigo.
In other contexts
She had scarcely finished when the door opened.
She had only just finished—timing, not size.
There was scarcely any bread left.
Almost none remaining.
Good to know
Scarcely often pairs with comparative size (“scarcely larger”) to mean “only a little bigger.”
apenas
scarcely / only just
AdverbBy a narrow margin; “only just” larger—or almost not at all.
In this sentence
…vivía en un planeta apenas más grande que él…
Whole sentence
Érase una vez un pequeño príncipe que vivía en un planeta apenas más grande que él, y que tenía necesidad de un amigo.
Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet scarcely larger than himself, and who had need of a friend.
In other contexts
Apenas llegué cuando empezó a llover.
I had only just arrived—timing.
Apenas hay luz.
There is almost no light.
Good to know
With comparatives (apenas más grande), apenas means “only slightly,” not “hardly ever.”
gairebé
almost / nearly
AdverbVery nearly—here, the planet is almost as small as the prince.
In this sentence
…vivia en un planeta gairebé tan petit com ell…
Whole sentence
Havia una vegada un petit príncep que vivia en un planeta gairebé tan petit com ell, i que necessitava un amic.
Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet almost as small as himself, and who needed a friend.
In other contexts
Gairebé he acabat.
I’ve almost finished.
Gairebé no queda pa.
There is hardly any bread left.
Good to know
Gairebé + tan + adjective + com compares near-equality, not “scarcely larger.”
Meaning, without leaving the story.