French Grammar – L’incroyable verbe “passer”

If you spend a day listening to French people speaking to one other, you will hear the verb passer over and over. It is an extremely rich verb and probably one of the most important ones to master since it is used in so many everyday life contexts. Passer also has the particularity to take either the auxiliary avoir or être in the passé composé depending on its meaning. 

1. Passer du temps = To spend time

This translation is straight forward. Anytime, you wish to say that you’re spending time with someone or something, you can just say passer du temps avec or sur.

Examples:
Je passe du temps avec mon père tous les dimanches. = I spend time with my father every Sunday.
Je passe du temps sur mes devoirs de français. = I spend time on my French homework.
In this context, the auxiliary verb avoir is used with the
passé composé:
Hier, j’ai passé du temps sur mes devoirs de français.

2. Passer un bon week‐end/de bonnes vacances = To have a good week‐end/vacation

This is widely used for asking if someone had a good weekend, evening, day, or great holidays, etc. In English, the verb is “to have”, but in French, it is passer.

Examples:
Tu passes une bonne soirée ? = Are you having a nice evening?
Vous passez de bonnes vacances ? = Are you having a nice vacation?
In this context, the auxiliary verb avoir is used with the passé composé:
Vous avez passé de bonnes vacances à la plage ?

Note that you’ll also hear the French use passer to wish a
good day/evening or week-end:
Passez une bonne journée / Passez une bonne soirée !
Passez un bon week‐end !

3. Passer voir quelqu’un = To stop by to see someone

The French will use passer voir to say that they’ll stop by to see someone for a brief moment vs using rendre visite.

Examples:
Je passe voir mon amie Julie ce soir. = I’m stopping to see my friend Julie this evening.
Tous les matins, je passe dire bonjour à ma voisine. = Every morning, I stop by to say hello to my neighbor.
In this context, the auxiliary verb être is used with the passé composé because it involves a motion:
Ce matin, je suis passé(e) dire bonjour à ma voisine.

4. Passer devant chez quelqu’un/par une ville = To pass in front of someone’s place/by a city

Passer is also used to inform someone that we are passing by a place but we’re not stopping.

Examples:
Je passe toujours devant chez toi pour aller au travail. = I always go pass your place to go to work
Je passe par Dijon pour aller à Lyon. = I go by Dijon to go to Lyon
In this context (motion), the auxiliary verb être is used with the passé composé:
Je suis passé(e) par Dijon pour aller à Lyon.

5. Qu’est‐ce qui se passe ? = What’s happening/going on?

You hear a commotion or you see something unusual, the French will most likely say qu’est‐ce qui se passe to ask what’s happening/going on.

Examples :
Qu’est‐ce qui se passe chez toi ? Il y a une fête ? = What’s going at your place? Is there a party?
Qu’est‐ce qui se passe ici ? Toutes les routes sont bloquées. = What’s going on here ? All the roads are bloqued.
In this context, the auxiliary verb être is used with the passé composé because that is the case for all reflexive verbs:
Qu’est‐ce qui s’est passé ici ?

6. Comment ça se passe ? = How is it working out/going?

A general question the French might ask when they want to know how something or things are going or working, or if everything is going ok.

Examples:
Comment ça se passe l’inscription à université ? = How does the registraƟon work at the University?
A waiter who wants to ask if you like your meal might ask:
Tout se passe bien ? = Everything is going well?
In this context, the auxiliary verb être is used with the passé composé (reflexive verb):
Tout s’est bien passé ?

7. Ça se passe en France = It takes places in France

When speaking about location, where something took place, se passer will be used.

Examples:
Le film se passe à Montmartre. = The movie is taking place in Montmartre
Les leçons de français se passent sur Zoom. = the French lessons take place on Zoom.
In this context, the auxiliary verb être is used with the pas sé composé:
Les leçons de français se sont passées sur Zoom.

8. Se passer de quelque chose/quelqu’un = To do without something or someone

This is an alternative to je n’ai pas besoin de (I don’t need). This is a more casual way to express something or someone that you can live without.

Examples:
Je me passe d’une voiture, je prends le train. = I can do without a car, I take the train.
Laurent se passe de ses parents, il se débrouille tout seul. = Laurent can do without his parents, he manages on his own.
In this context, the auxiliary verb être is used with the passé composé:
Laurent s’est passé de ses parents.

9. Passer un examen = To take an exam

Here is a false friend. To take an exam, we need to use passer. And if the exam was a success, then you would use réussir.

Examples:
Je vais passer l’examen DELF demain, j’espère que je vais réussir. = I’m going to take the DELF exam tomorrow, I hope that I’m going to succeed.
J’ai passé mon examen de permis de conduire et je l’ai réussi. = I took my driver’s license exam and I passed.
In this context, the auxiliary verb avoir is used with the passé composé (see the example above)

10. Passer quelque chose à quelqu’un = To pass/to hand over something to someone

We’ll finish the last one on an easy straighforward translation: passing or handing something to someone.

Examples:
Pouvez‐vous me passer le journal s’il vous plaît ? = Can you pass me the newspaper please ?
Je vous passe ce document, il faut le lire. = I’m handing this document over to you, it’s necessary to read it.
In this context, the auxiliary verb avoir is used with the passé composé:
Je vous ai passé ce document.

Annick Stevenson