Question 1

What tense is fut, and why aren't we using était?

Accepted Answer

fut is the passé simple (literary past tense) of the verb être (to be). You will see the passé simple constantly in written stories, fairy tales, and historical texts instead of the imparfait (était) or passé composé (a été). At this level, you just need to be able to recognize it when you read it!

Question 2

Isn't dit one of the passé simple verbs we are learning? Is it past or present tense here?

Accepted Answer

Great catch! For the verb dire (to say), the il/elle form is dit in BOTH the present tense ('says') and the passé simple ('said'). Here, the translation tells us it is being used in the present tense because the legend currently says it. But if you were reading a novel, context would tell you if it meant 'says' or 'said'.

Question 3

Why do we use qui for the first 'that' (qui dit) but que for the second (que le roi)?

Accepted Answer

We use qui when it acts as the subject of the next verb (the legend is doing the saying, so qui dit). We use que as a connector (a conjunction) to introduce a new clause with its own subject ('says that the king...'). A quick trick to remember: qui is usually followed directly by a verb, while que is followed by a new subject.

Question 4

Why does antique come after légende instead of before it?

Accepted Answer

In French, most descriptive adjectives go after the noun they describe (une légende antique). It is only a specific group of common adjectives (often related to Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, or Size) that typically go before the noun, such as if you were to say une vieille légende (an old legend).

Il y a une légende antique qui dit que le roi fut fou.

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