Passer Verb Conjugation: Every Tense Explained With Translations & Examples
Does Passer Verb Conjugation feel confusing because the verb seems to mean everything at once—passing, spending time, stopping by, or switching from one thing to another? Passer is one of the most versatile and frequently used French verbs. This guide explains every tense clearly, shows when meanings change, and gives natural translations with real-life examples.
Let’s start with what makes passer special.
What You Need To Know Before Conjugating Passer
Passer means to pass, to go by, to spend (time), to stop by, to move on, or to switch, depending on context. It can use être or avoir in compound tenses. When passer expresses movement without a direct object, it uses être. When it has a direct object, it uses avoir. This distinction changes meaning and agreement.
Indicative Mood
The indicative mood is used to express facts, habits, movement, and real situations.
Present Tense (Présent)
The present tense describes actions happening now, repeated actions, or general truths. In English, passer often translates as “pass,” “go by,” “am/is/are spending,” or “stop by.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | passe | I pass / I am passing |
| Tu | passes | you pass |
| Il / Elle / On | passe | he / she passes |
| Nous | passons | we pass / we are passing |
| Vous | passez | you pass |
| Ils / Elles | passent | they pass |
Examples:
- Je passe devant la maison. → I’m passing in front of the house.
- Elle passe beaucoup de temps ici. → She spends a lot of time here.
- Nous passons par Paris. → We’re going through Paris.
To describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past, French uses the imperfect.
Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)
The imperfect tense is used for ongoing actions, habits, or background situations in the past. In English, it often translates as “was passing,” “used to pass,” or “was spending.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | passais | I was passing / I used to pass |
| Tu | passais | you were passing |
| Il / Elle / On | passait | he / she was passing |
| Nous | passions | we were passing |
| Vous | passiez | you were passing |
| Ils / Elles | passaient | they were passing |
Examples:
- Je passais souvent ici. → I used to pass by here often.
- Elle passait ses soirées à lire. → She used to spend her evenings reading.
- Le temps passait vite. → Time was passing quickly.
To express a completed action, French uses the passé composé.
Passé Composé (Être Or Avoir)
The passé composé expresses completed actions. Passer uses être for movement without a direct object and avoir when there is a direct object. This choice changes meaning.
| Structure | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Être | je suis passé(e) | I passed by / I went through |
| Avoir | j’ai passé | I spent / I passed (something) |
Examples:
- Je suis passé chez lui. → I stopped by his place.
- Elle est passée par la porte. → She went through the door.
- J’ai passé trois heures ici. → I spent three hours here.
To show that an action happened before another past action, French uses another tense.
Plus-Que-Parfait
The plus-que-parfait expresses an action that had already happened before another past event. It uses être or avoir, following the same rules as the passé composé.
| Structure | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Être | j’étais passé(e) | I had passed by |
| Avoir | j’avais passé | I had spent |
Examples:
- J’étais passé avant lui. → I had passed by before him.
- Elle avait passé la journée ici. → She had spent the day here.
- Nous étions passés par erreur. → We had gone through by mistake.
Some tenses mainly appear in written French.
Passé Simple (Rare – Literary)
The passé simple of passer is used mostly in novels and historical texts.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | passai | I passed |
| Tu | passas | you passed |
| Il / Elle / On | passa | he / she passed |
| Nous | passâmes | we passed |
| Vous | passâtes | you passed |
| Ils / Elles | passèrent | they passed |
Examples:
- Il passa devant elle. → He passed in front of her.
- Elle passa la nuit à réfléchir. → She spent the night thinking.
- Ils passèrent sans bruit. → They passed quietly.
French also uses the future tense frequently with passer.
Simple Future (Futur Simple)
The future tense describes actions that will happen later, including passing by, spending time, or transitions.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | passerai | I will pass / I will spend |
| Tu | passeras | you will pass |
| Il / Elle / On | passera | he / she will pass |
| Nous | passerons | we will pass |
| Vous | passerez | you will pass |
| Ils / Elles | passeront | they will pass |
Examples:
- Je passerai demain. → I’ll stop by tomorrow.
- Elle passera la soirée ici. → She’ll spend the evening here.
- Le temps passera vite. → Time will pass quickly.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is used to express necessity, emotion, doubt, or judgment, often related to time or movement.
Present Subjunctive
In English, this often translates as “for someone to pass” or “that someone should pass.”
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | passe | for me to pass / that I should pass |
| Que tu | passes | for you to pass |
| Qu’il / elle / on | passe | for him/her to pass |
| Que nous | passions | for us to pass |
| Que vous | passiez | for you to pass |
| Qu’ils / elles | passent | for them to pass |
Examples:
- Il faut que je passe. → I need to stop by.
- Je veux qu’elle passe me voir. → I want her to stop by.
- Bien qu’ils passent tard… → Although they pass late…
Past Subjunctive
Used when the action happened before the main verb.
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Que je | sois passé(e) / aie passé | for me to have passed |
| Que tu | sois passé(e) / aies passé | for you to have passed |
| Qu’il / elle / on | soit passé(e) / ait passé | for him/her to have passed |
| Que nous | soyons passé(e)s / ayons passé | for us to have passed |
| Que vous | soyez passé(e)(s) / ayez passé | for you to have passed |
| Qu’ils / elles | soient passé(e)s / aient passé | for them to have passed |
Examples:
- Je regrette qu’il soit passé si tard. → I regret that he passed so late.
- Bien qu’elle ait passé la journée ici… → Although she spent the day here…
- Je suis content qu’ils soient passés. → I’m glad they stopped by.
Conditional Mood
The conditional expresses hypothetical situations, polite suggestions, or imagined outcomes.
Present Conditional
| Subject | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | passerais | I would pass / I would spend |
| Tu | passerais | you would pass |
| Il / Elle / On | passerait | he / she would pass |
| Nous | passerions | we would pass |
| Vous | passeriez | you would pass |
| Ils / Elles | passeraient | they would pass |
Examples:
- Je passerais plus tard. → I would stop by later.
- Elle passerait la nuit ici. → She would spend the night here.
- Nous passerions par là. → We would go through there.
Imperative Mood
The imperative is used to give instructions, invitations, or advice.
Present Imperative
| Form | Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| (Tu) | passe | pass / stop by |
| (Nous) | passons | let’s pass |
| (Vous) | passez | pass (formal/plural) |
Examples:
- Passe me voir. → Stop by and see me.
- Passons par ici. → Let’s go this way.
- Passez plus tard. → Come by later.
FAQs
What Does The Verb Passer Mean In French?
The verb passer has many meanings depending on context. It can mean to pass, to go by, to stop by, to spend time, or to move from one state to another. This flexibility makes it extremely common in spoken French and essential to master for natural communication.
Is Passer A Regular Or Irregular Verb?
Passer is a regular -er verb in terms of endings, which makes its conjugation predictable. However, what confuses learners is not the endings but the meaning shifts and the auxiliary change in compound tenses, which affects both translation and agreement.
Does Passer Use Être Or Avoir?
Passer can use both être and avoir. It uses être when expressing movement without a direct object and avoir when followed by a direct object. This auxiliary choice changes both the meaning of the sentence and the agreement of the past participle.
What Is The Difference Between Je Suis Passé And J’ai Passé?
Je suis passé focuses on movement, meaning “I passed by” or “I stopped by.” J’ai passé focuses on an action done to something, often time, such as “I spent.” The auxiliary determines whether the verb expresses movement or action.
How Do You Conjugate Passer In The Present Tense?
In the present tense, passer is conjugated as je passe, tu passes, il passe, nous passons, vous passez, ils passent. It is used to describe actions happening now, habits, or general statements involving passing, spending time, or stopping by.
What Is The Present Tense Of Passer Used For?
The present tense of passer is used for current actions, repeated habits, or near-future plans. It can describe physically passing somewhere, spending time, or visiting someone briefly, depending on context.
How Do You Use Passer In The Imperfect Tense?
The imperfect tense of passer is used to describe habitual actions or ongoing situations in the past. It often translates as “was passing” or “used to spend,” especially when talking about routines or background actions.
What Does Passer Mean In The Past Tense?
In the past tense, passer can mean “passed by,” “went through,” or “spent,” depending on the auxiliary used. With être, it focuses on movement. With avoir, it focuses on what was spent or passed.
Why Does Passer Sometimes Agree In The Past Tense?
Agreement happens only when passer uses être. In that case, the past participle passé agrees with the subject in gender and number. When avoir is used, agreement usually does not apply unless there is a preceding direct object.
Can Passer Mean To Spend Time?
Yes, passer is very commonly used to mean “to spend” time. For example, passer la journée means “to spend the day.” In this usage, passer always uses avoir because time is the direct object.
Can Passer Mean To Stop By Or Visit?
Yes, passer is often used to mean stopping by briefly. When there is no direct object and the focus is movement, it uses être in compound tenses, such as je suis passé chez lui.
How Do You Use Passer With A Place?
Passer can be used with places to describe movement, such as passing through or stopping by. Expressions like passer par or passer chez are very common and usually imply movement rather than duration.
What Does Passer Par Mean?
Passer par means “to go through” or “to pass by way of.” It is used to indicate a route or intermediate location and focuses on movement, which is why it commonly uses être in the past tense.
What Does Passer À Mean?
Passer à means to move on to something else, such as a new topic or activity. It is commonly used in both spoken and written French to signal transition rather than physical movement.
Can Passer Be Used Figuratively?
Yes, passer is frequently used figuratively. It can describe time passing, situations changing, exams being passed, or things becoming acceptable. These figurative uses are extremely common in everyday French.
How Do You Use Passer For Time Expressions?
Passer is often used with time expressions like la nuit, la journée, or des heures. In these cases, it means “to spend” and always uses avoir in compound tenses.
Is Passer Common In Everyday Spoken French?
Passer is one of the most common verbs in everyday French. It appears constantly in conversations about time, movement, visits, transitions, and routines, making it a key verb for fluency.
What Is The Future Tense Of Passer Used For?
The future tense of passer is used to describe planned actions, future visits, or time that will be spent. It often translates as “will pass,” “will stop by,” or “will spend.”
How Do You Conjugate Passer In The Future Tense?
In the future tense, passer becomes je passerai, tu passeras, il passera, and so on. These forms are regular and easy to recognize once the infinitive is known.
When Do You Use The Subjunctive With Passer?
The subjunctive is used with passer after expressions of necessity, desire, doubt, or emotion. It often appears in sentences where the action is uncertain or dependent on another condition.
How Do You Translate “Que Je Passe” In English?
“Que je passe” usually translates as “for me to pass” or “that I should pass.” English often restructures the sentence instead of using a direct subjunctive form.
What Is The Past Subjunctive Of Passer Used For?
The past subjunctive of passer is used when the action happened before the main verb and is viewed subjectively. The auxiliary used follows the same rules as the passé composé.
Is The Passé Simple Of Passer Still Used?
The passé simple of passer still exists but is mainly used in literature and historical writing. It is not used in spoken French and is mostly learned for reading comprehension.
Can Passer Be Used In Commands?
Yes, passer is very common in the imperative. Expressions like passe me voir or passons à autre chose are frequently used in everyday conversation.
How Is Passer Different From Aller?
Aller focuses on going to a destination, while passer focuses on passing by, stopping briefly, or spending time. The intent and duration are different.
How Is Passer Different From Traverser?
Traverser emphasizes crossing something completely, while passer can imply partial movement, a brief stop, or a transition. The two are not interchangeable in many contexts.
Can Passer Mean To Pass An Exam?
Yes, passer is commonly used to mean taking or passing an exam. Context determines whether it means sitting for the exam or successfully completing it.
Can Passer Be Used With Objects?
Yes, when passer has a direct object, it uses avoir. This is common when talking about spending time, passing an item, or completing an action.
Does Passer Change Meaning With Context?
Absolutely. Context is everything with passer. The same conjugation can mean passing by, spending time, switching topics, or succeeding, depending on surrounding words.
Is Passer Used In Formal Writing?
Yes, passer appears in formal writing, especially when discussing processes, transitions, or time. Its meaning remains consistent, though usage may be more structured.
Are There Idiomatic Expressions With Passer?
French includes many idiomatic expressions with passer, especially related to time, acceptance, and transitions. These expressions are very common in spoken French.
Can Passer Be Used For People And Things?
Yes, passer can describe people passing by, objects being passed, or abstract things like time and phases passing. Its flexibility is one of its strengths.
How Do You Use Passer With Pronouns?
When using pronouns, placement follows standard French rules. The auxiliary choice still depends on whether passer expresses movement or an action on an object.
Is Passer Difficult For Beginners?
Passer is not difficult grammatically, but its many meanings can confuse beginners. Learning it through context and examples helps avoid literal translation mistakes.
What Are Common Mistakes Learners Make With Passer?
Common mistakes include choosing the wrong auxiliary, mistranslating figurative uses, or assuming passer always means “to pass.” Context and structure matter.
How Do You Practice Passer Effectively?
The best way to practice passer is by creating sentences with different meanings: movement, time, visits, and transitions. This reinforces flexibility and correct auxiliary usage.
Can Passer Be Used With Adverbs Of Time?
Yes, passer is frequently used with adverbs of time like vite, lentement, or bien. These help clarify how time or actions unfold.
Does Passer Appear In Set Phrases?
Yes, passer appears in many fixed phrases used daily. Recognizing these phrases helps learners sound more natural and fluent.
How Does Passer Improve Fluency?
Mastering passer allows you to talk about time, movement, routines, and transitions smoothly. Its frequency makes it a core verb for natural French.
Should Beginners Learn All Passer Uses At Once?
Beginners should start with the most common uses, such as spending time and passing by. Other meanings can be added gradually to avoid overload.
Why Is Passer One Of The Most Important French Verbs?
Passer is essential because it appears in countless everyday situations. Its versatility allows speakers to express time, movement, change, and routine efficiently.
Final Takeaway
The Passer Verb Conjugation is essential because passer appears everywhere in French—movement, time, transitions, and everyday expressions. Once you understand how être vs avoir changes meaning and how context drives translation, passer becomes one of the most powerful verbs you can use naturally.