Louis XIV

Louis XIV had many, MANY health problems and host Alexa, together with returning guests, Liam and Satie, uncover the rather disturbing life of this famous French king. Practise your B1 French listening, comprehension and pronunciation skills while discovering the unhygienic life of Louis XIV.

Join us on this journey where we practise our French listening skills, enhance our vocabulary and enrich our French cultural knowledge in fun, casual discussions!

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Objectifs

1. to improve your listening skills & general comprehension
2. to build vocabulary and develop sentence construction
3. to learn unusual facts about France

Niveau

B1 - niveau seuil (intermediate)

Texte

Louis XIV est monté sur le trône de France en 1643. Son règne, qui a duré 72 ans, reste le plus long de l'histoire de France. Le Roi a souffert toute sa vie de graves problèmes de santé comme la fièvre typhoïde, une infection bactérienne liée aux aliments périmés qui lui a fait perdre ses cheveux et l'a obligé à mettre des perruques. Louis XIV avait aussi de gros problèmes dentaires... En effet, il avait la bouche en très mauvais état et quand les médecins lui ont retiré des dents, ils lui ont accidentellement percé le palais, créant un trou entre sa bouche et son nez. Résultat : à chaque fois qu'il buvait, le liquide ressortait par son nez et son haleine était insupportable. Les docteurs ont pu le réopérer, mais cette blessure a mis des mois à cicatriser. Malgré ces douleurs terribles, il a continué d'assurer ses fonctions royales.

Question 1. En quelle année Louis XIV est monté sur le trône ? Combien de temps a duré son règne ?

Question 2. Qu'est-ce qui a causé les problèmes dentaires de Louis XIV ?

Notes

The words highlighted in the text are adjectives. You may notice that some appear before the noun they qualify, while others are placed after. If you want to learn more about adjectives, I cover this topic in Lessons 07 and 13 of my Complete French Course, on https://learnfrenchwithalexa.com.

Réponses

Question 1. Louis XIV est monté sur le trône en 1643. Son règne a duré 72 ans.

Question 2. Une opération ratée/qui n'a pas marché.

Traduction

Louis XIV ascended the French throne in 1643. His reign, which lasted 72 years, remains the longest in French history. The King suffered from serious health problems throughout his life, such as typhoid fever – a bacterial infection caused by spoiled food – which caused him to lose his hair and forced him to wear wigs. Louis XIV also had serious dental problems… In fact, his teeth were in a very poor state, and when doctors extracted some of his teeth, they accidentally pierced his palate, creating a hole between his mouth and his nose. As a result, every time he drank, the liquid would come out through his nose, and his breath was unbearable. The doctors were able to operate on him again, but it took months for the wound to heal. Despite this terrible pain, he continued to carry out his royal duties.

Question 1. In what year did Louis XIV ascend the throne, and for how long did he reign? In 1643, for 72 years.

Question 2. What caused Louis XIV’s dental problems? A botched operation.