Question 1

Why do we use c'était (imperfect) here instead of the passé composé (ça a été)?

Accepted Answer

We use the imperfect tense (l'imparfait) because the speaker is describing a past state or an ongoing opinion, rather than a single, completed action. You are setting the scene or giving your feeling about the idea in the past.

Question 2

Since idée is a feminine word, why do we use c' instead of elle? Shouldn't it be elle était une idée idiote?

Accepted Answer

In French, when you use the verb être (to be) followed by a determiner (like un, une, le, la) and a noun, you must use ce (or c' before a vowel). You would only use elle était if it were followed by an adjective alone, for example: Elle était idiote.

Question 3

Why does the adjective idiote come after the noun idée?

Accepted Answer

Most adjectives in French come after the noun they describe. Only a specific group of common, short adjectives (referring to Beauty, Age, Goodness, or Size, often remembered by the acronym BAGS) come before the noun. idiote doesn't fit into those categories, so it follows the normal rule and goes after idée.

Question 4

Could I use the word bête instead of idiote here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could absolutely say C'était une idée bête. Both bête and idiote are very common ways to say stupid or silly in everyday French. Notice that bête already ends in an e, so its spelling doesn't change for the feminine noun idée.

C'était une idée idiote.

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