If you’ve ever opened the Spanish dictionary and looked up the verb pasar in Spanish, you probably felt your brain short-circuit for a second. Sixty-four meanings. Yes, sixty-four! That’s not a typo; the Real Academia Española lists many different meanings of 'pasar' in Spanish.
But before you panic and run for the hills, here’s some good news: you’ll only need about five of them to sound natural in everyday conversations.
Ready? Let’s pasar through them together.
1. Pasar - To Happen
Let’s start with the most common one. When something happens, it pasa.
You’ll hear this one everywhere: in movies, on the street, from your Spanish-speaking friends, or from your teacher when you forget your homework.
- ¿Qué pasó? = “What happened?”
This is your go-to line when you blink during a movie, and suddenly everyone’s crying or something explodes:
“Wait, what? ¿Qué pasó?”
There’s also a slightly more personal version:
- ¿Qué te pasó? = “What happened to you?” or simply “What’s wrong?”
Imagine your friend shows up looking a bit upset:
You: “¿Qué te pasó?”
Them: “Nada, todo bien…” (Classic response. You know something happened.)
So there you go; your first use of pasar: when something happens, it pasa.
2. Pasar - To Spend (Time)
Now we’re talking about time, and how you spend it.
This is where pasar becomes extremely useful. You can pass the time just like in English, but with a Spanish twist.
Pasamos la tarde estudiando español - “We spent the afternoon studying Spanish.”
See? You already knew this idea; you just needed to connect it.
Here’s another expression you’ll hear constantly in Spanish-speaking countries:
- La pasé bien - “I had a good time.
- La pasé mal. - “I had a bad time.”
These are your best friends for storytelling. Whether it’s a party, a trip, or your day at work, they fit every context.
—¿Cómo fue la fiesta anoche?”
—¡La pasé increíble!”
Something is charming about saying la pasé bien. It literally means “I passed it well,” but it captures not just what happened, but how it felt.
So, how’s your week going? Espero que la estés pasando bien.
3. Pasar - To Pass By / Through (Movement)
Okay, now let’s move, literally.
This version of pasar has to do with movement, with going by or through somewhere.
—Hoy pasé por el parque: “Today I passed by the park.”
So far, so good. You’re just describing movement.
But context changes everything.
If you say:
—Estoy pasando por un túnel. “I’m passing through a tunnel.”
Totally different image, right?
Now it’s not “passing by”, it’s “passing through.” Same preposition (por), same verb (pasar), different sense.
Here’s another use you’ll hear in real conversations: Te pasaste.
Literally, “You passed yourself,” but in meaning? “You went too far!” or “You crossed the line!”
For example, when your friend eats all your fries:
“¡Epa! Te pasaste de la raya.”
That phrase de la raya literally means “past the line.” It’s one of those colorful idiomatic expressions that make Spanish so fun and expressive.
4. Pasar - To Pass (Objects or Information)
Picture this: you’re at a big family dinner speaking Spanish. Everyone’s talking, laughing, chaos everywhere. You need the salt, but it’s five people away.
You lean forward and say:
- ¿Me puedes pasar la sal? = “Can you pass me the salt?”
Perfectly polite and completely natural.
This is pasar in its literal sense, to hand something over or transfer it from one person to another.
But it doesn’t stop there. It also works perfectly in the digital world.
- Pásame la foto. = “Send me the picture.’’
- Pásame el mensaje. = “Pass me the message.”
- Pásame tu número. = “Send me your number.”
So the verb pasar in Spanish can move seamlessly from the dinner table to your phone without changing form.
Here’s a quick note on tone: when you ask someone to pass you something casually, you don’t always need por favor.
Among friends or family, Pásame la sal works just fine.
Now you’re speaking like a native, both at the table and in the group chat.
5. Pasar - To Stop By / Visit Briefly
We’ve all done this: you’re walking somewhere and decide to stop in for a quick hello. That’s where pasar steps in again.
- Esta mañana pasé por la oficina. = “This morning I stopped by the office.”
But here’s the tricky part: context again.
“Pasé por la oficina” could mean you walked by the office (and didn’t go in), or that you stopped in briefly.
How do you tell the difference? Context, always context.
If you say:
- Pasé por la oficina y recogí unos papeles,
it’s clear that you went inside, “I stopped by the office and picked up some papers.”
That little detail makes all the difference.
So remember: Spanish doesn’t always hand you a direct translation — it gives you the building blocks, and you create the meaning.
Bonus: Pasar for Wins, Limits, and Tests
By now, you’ve probably noticed how pasar keeps adapting to new situations.
Here are a few more quick but common meanings of pasar in Spanish:
- Pasar un examen. = “To pass a test.”
- Pasar un límite. = “To go over a limit.”
And if you’ve made it this far through the article, you can proudly say: Pasaste la prueba. (You passed the test!)
Why This One Verb Is So Powerful
Let’s review the five main uses of pasar that you’ll actually use:
- Happen: “¿Qué pasó?”
- Spend time: “Lo pasé bien.”
- Movement: “Pasé por el parque.”
- Pass an object: “Pásame la sal.”
- Stop by: “Pasé por la oficina.”
And maybe a couple of extras like pasar un examen or pasarte de la raya when someone goes too far.
But here’s the key insight: Spanish verbs aren’t meant to be memorized; they’re meant to be lived.
The verb pasar in Spanish is one of those perfect examples; it appears in daily life constantly, adapting to context. Sometimes it’s about time, sometimes movement, sometimes emotions.
If you listen carefully to native speakers, you’ll start to recognize patterns. You’ll see that pasar isn’t about a single translation; it’s about connection. It connects moments, actions, and experiences.
Learning pasar isn’t just learning a verb; it’s learning how Spanish speakers think and relate events.
Try It Yourself
Let’s make this practical.
Write one short sentence using pasar.
It can be anything:
- Pasé por tu casa ayer.
- Lo pasamos genial en la playa.
- ¿Qué te pasó?
It doesn’t need to be perfect. What matters is that you’re using it in a real context; that’s how fluency develops.
If you’re reading this on our blog or social page, leave your sentence in the comments. I’ll pasaré por aquí later to check it out.
If this helped you finally understand the main meanings of pasar in Spanish, you’ll love what’s coming next.
Spanish has a handful of verbs that seem simple but secretly do all the heavy lifting: llevar, quedar, dejar, and more.
We’ll break them down one by one, just like we did here. So don’t dejes pasar the chance to keep learning. Follow, or save this article so you don’t miss the next one.
Nos vemos pronto, and until then, que la pases muy, muy bien.
