Breakdown of Le règne de la déesse fut long et calme.
être
to be
et
and
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
calme
calm
Questions & Answers about Le règne de la déesse fut long et calme.
I don't recognize the verb fut. What is it?
Fut is the passé simple (literary past tense) form of être (to be) for he, she, or it. It translates to "was". You will see this tense frequently in books, fairy tales, and historical texts to describe completed past actions. In everyday spoken French, you would just use the imparfait and say était.
Since a "long and calm" reign describes an ongoing state in the past, why does this sentence use the passé simple (fut) instead of the imparfait (était)?
Good catch! Normally, the imparfait is used for ongoing states and background descriptions in the past. However, in historical or formal writing, the passé simple is sometimes used to summarize a long-lasting state that is now completely finished. Using fut packages her entire reign into a single, closed chapter of history.
Why is the adjective long masculine when the sentence mentions a goddess (la déesse)?
In French, adjectives agree with the noun they directly describe. Here, long and calme are describing the reign (le règne, which is masculine), not the goddess herself. Even though le règne ends in an "e", it is a masculine noun.
Is déesse the feminine version of dieu (god)?