J’étais couronné la reine hier quand j’ai goûté pour la première fois de La Galette des rois. J’aimerai savoir comment je couronne la reine suivante?

DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

J’étais couronné la reine hier quand j’ai goûté pour la première fois de La Galette des rois. J’aimerai savoir comment je couronne la reine suivante?

Asked 5 years ago
ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

J'étais couronné la reine is past perfect tense, not imperfect.

TomC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Debora,

Félicitations pour votre couronnement!

I have to disagree that J'étais couronné la reine is the past perfect (pluperfect) tense and it is, indeed, the imperfect used in the passive voice. Your question is grammatically valid.

Even if it were the pluperfect couronner would be conjugated with avoir rather than être ie.

J'avais courroné la reine NOT J'étais couronné la reine

I believe it would be more usual to say, in general terms  couronné reine than couronné la reine but if you are talking about the specific queen of the fête then la reine would be ok.

As for your question!! If I understand correctly you want to know how you would crown the next queen. As far as I know you wouldn't. You would be queen for the day and the next year everything would start from scratch again.

If I am wrong maybe someone steeped in the culture could enlighten us.

Hope this helps (at least the grammar point),

Tom

DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I think better would be "J'ai été couronnée (I was crowned). The last paragraph of the story says that the crowned king or queen must choose someone else after being crowned. I've never heard that before but that's what the story says. 

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Absolutely correct: it is the imperfect in passive voice. 

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Absolutely correct: it is the imperfect in passive voice. 

DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

But my question is about the last paragraph of the reading where it says the queen or king has to crown someone else subsequently. That’s my question .

AlanC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I think Carl already answered this:

I think "choisir leur propre roi ou reine" means the person who finds the bean gets to choose his own partner.  If he is crowned king, he chooses his queen.  If she is crowned queen, she chooses her own king.

DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Ah! Fantastic, I probably read it wrong. Thanks!

DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Ah! Fantastic, I probably read it wrong. Thanks!

J’étais couronné la reine hier quand j’ai goûté pour la première fois de La Galette des rois. J’aimerai savoir comment je couronne la reine suivante?

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