diff --git a/db_reader.py b/db_reader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cc7512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db_reader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import argparse
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import List, Tuple
+
+MBROLA_VOICES_FOLDER = Path("/usr/share/mbrola/")
+argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+argparser.add_argument("mbrola_db", type=Path,
+                       help="Mrbola db name or direct path")
+
+PhonemeCode = int
+
+
+@dataclass
+class DiphoneInfo:
+    left: PhonemeCode
+    right: PhonemeCode
+
+    pos_wave: int  # position in SPEECH_FILE
+    halfseg: int  # position of center of diphone
+    pos_pm: int  # index in PITCHMARK_FILE
+    nb_frame: int  # Number of pitch markers
+
+
+@dataclass
+class FrameType:
+    pass
+
+
+@dataclass
+class MbrolaDatabase:
+    # TODO : init default values as specified in the database_init
+    freq: int  # Sampling frequency of the database
+    mbr_period: int  # Period of the MBR analysis
+    nb_diphone: int  # Number of  diphones in the database
+    size_mark: int  # Size of the pitchmark part
+    pitch_marks: List[FrameType]
+    size_raw: int  # Size of the wave part
+    raw_offset: int  # Offset for raw samples in database
+    max_frame: int  # Maximum number of frames encountered for a diphone in the dba
+    max_samples: int  # Size of the diphone buffer= 0 means let me manage it myself
+    magic_header: Tuple[int, int]  # Magic header of the database
+    version: str  # version of the database
+
+    info: List[str]
+    silence_phone: str  # silence symbol in the database
+    db_path: Path  # name of database
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    args = argparser.parse_args()
+    if (MBROLA_VOICES_FOLDER / args.mbrola_db / args.mbrola_db).is_file():
+        db_path = MBROLA_VOICES_FOLDER / args.mbrola_db / args.mbrola_db
+    elif (MBROLA_VOICES_FOLDER / args.mbrola_db).is_file():
+        db_path = MBROLA_VOICES_FOLDER / args.mbrola_db
+    elif args.mbrola_db.is_file():
+        db_path = args.mbrola_db
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("Can't find database file")
+
+    mbr_db = MbrolaDatabase(db_path=db_path)
+
+    with open(db_path, "rb") as db_file:
+        # should read "mbrola"
+        mbr_db.magic_header = db_file.read(6).decode()
+        mbr_db.version = db_file.read(5).decode()
+        mbr_db.nb_diphone = int.from_bytes(db_file.read(2), byteorder="little")
+
+