Here are some possibilities:
* "était" is the past imperfect of "être" (to be) and is used for ongoing actions in the past.
* "a été" is the past participle of "être" (to be) used with the auxiliary verb "avoir" (to have) to form compound tenses like the past perfect ("avait été").
* "fut" is the past definite of "être" (to be) used for completed actions in the past.
For example:
* "Il était beau." (He was handsome.)
* "Il a été malade." (He was sick.)
* "Il fut un grand roi." (He was a great king.)
Can you please provide more context or a sentence so I can give you the most accurate translation?