This is the 1524th most frequent French word.
fallait
"Fallait" means "was necessary" or "had to."
In this sentence, 'fallait' expresses a past necessity or obligation, implying that leaving early was required at the specific past time.
Il fallait partir tôt pour éviter les embouteillages.
It was necessary to leave early to avoid traffic jams.
Here, 'fallait' is used interrogatively to inquire whether there was a necessity or obligation to purchase the tickets in advance in the past.
Fallait-il vraiment acheter ces billets à l'avance ?
Was it really necessary to buy these tickets in advance?
In this example, 'fallait' signifies a general past necessity as part of the actions required to achieve success.