c'était un accident

it was an accident

→ ce

phrase Uncommon #13,086

it was an accident The examples use c'est un accident, meaning “it's an accident”; c'était is the past-tense form, meaning “it was.”

FR: Ne t'inquiète pas, c'était un accident.

EN: Don't worry, it was an accident.

Je ne crois pas que c'était un accident.

I don't think it was an accident.

Je pensais que c'était un accident.

I thought it was an accident.

Je me fiche si c'était un accident ou non !

I don't care whether it was an accident or not!

— Cours, Lola, cours (1998)

C'était un accident.

It was an accident.

— Titanic (1997)

Je ne pense pas que c'était un accident.

I don't think it was an accident.

C'était un accident tragique.

It was a tragic accident.

— Bullet Train (2022)

Ouais, c'était un accident.

Yeah, it was an accident.

— Insaisissables 2 (2016)

C'était un accident et c'est moi qui vais devoir vivre avec ça, pas toi.

It was an accident, and I’m the one who’ll have to live with it, not you.

— The Machinist (2004)

Frank, c'était un accident.

Frank, it was an accident.

— American Gangster (2007)

C'était un accident !

It was an accident!

— Battle Royale (2000)

Ils ont dit que c'était un accident.

They said it was an accident.

— Léon (1994)

Je sais que c'était un accident.

I know it was an accident.

C'était un accident, Andrew.

It was an accident, Andrew.

— La Femme de ménage (2025)

Tom a déclaré que c'était un accident.

Tom stated that it was an accident.

Vous ne l'avez pas tuée, c'était un accident !

You didn’t kill her, it was an accident!

— Rebecca (1940)

Je suis sûr que c'était un accident.

I'm sure it was an accident.

C'était un accident et on ne pouvait plus rien pour lui.

It was an accident, and there was nothing more we could do for him.

— L'Accusé (2017)

Je t'ai dit que c'était un accident.

I told you it was an accident.

Je pense que c'était un accident.

I think it was an accident.

C'était un accident, non ?

It was an accident, wasn't it?

C'était un accident grave.

It was a serious accident.

— Senna (2010)