it was

Camille M.A2Kwiziq community member

it was

why can't I say c'etais la coup de foudre instead of c'a ete?

Asked 4 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

If you refer to a single, isolated event in the past, the passé composé is the appropriate tense. And a lightning strike (coup de foudre) is a pretty well isolated event rather than a state of being.

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

You will see the figurative phrase in passé simple quite regularly "Ce fut le coup de foudre". You will also find examples of "C'était le coup de foudre" - the phrase being figurative for 'love at first sight', and imparfait possibly being used to indicate the 'love' commenced at a figurative 'first sight', and was ongoing. Whether that is grammatically correct or not I will leave to others to debate.

it was

why can't I say c'etais la coup de foudre instead of c'a ete?

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