Pasar is a regular -ar verb in Spanish that follows standard patterns across all tenses, meaning to pass, to happen, or to spend time.
Learning how to conjugate pasar is fundamental for any Spanish learner. This verb appears frequently in daily conversation. You use it to describe movement, talk about how you spend your weekends, or ask what is happening around you. Because it is a regular verb, it serves as a perfect model for learning thousands of other -ar verbs. Once you master the patterns for pasar, you unlock the ability to conjugate many other words without extra effort.
This guide breaks down every mood and tense. You will see clear tables, practical examples, and usage notes that explain exactly when to use each form. We cover the indicative for facts, the subjunctive for doubts, and the imperative for commands.
Understanding The Core Meanings Of Pasar
Before looking at the conjugation tables, you need to know what you are actually saying. Pasar is versatile. It does not just mean “to pass.” Context changes the definition completely. Native speakers use it in specific structures that you should recognize.
- To pass:Move past something — Use this when walking by a location. El autobús pasa por mi casa. (The bus passes by my house.)
- To spend time:Duration of activity — This is extremely common. Paso mucho tiempo con mis amigos. (I spend a lot of time with my friends.)
- To happen:Events occurring — You often hear this in questions. ¿Qué pasa? (What is happening?)
- To enter:Coming inside — Used often as a command. Pasa, por favor. (Come in, please.)
- To swallow:Consuming food/drink — specifically the action of getting it down. No puedo pasar esta pastilla. (I can’t swallow this pill.)
Knowing these definitions helps you choose the right subject and object when you start conjugating. The meaning of “spending time” usually requires a time duration afterwards, while “happening” often uses pasar as an impersonal verb.
Present Tense Conjugation Of Pasar (Indicative)
The present indicative is the most used form. You use it for current actions, habits, or general truths. Since pasar is a regular -ar verb, you remove the -ar ending and add the standard endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Paso | I pass / spend |
| Tú | Pasas | You pass / spend |
| Él / Ella / Usted | Pasa | He/She passes |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | Pasamos | We pass / spend |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | Pasáis | You all pass |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | Pasan | They pass / spend |
Usage Examples:
Habits:Describe routines — Siempre paso por el parque. (I always pass by the park.) This implies a repetitive action that occurs regularly.
Current Actions:State what is happening — Ahora mismo pasa un coche. (Right now a car is passing.) This points to the immediate moment.
Future intent:Near future events — Sometimes the present functions as a future plan. Paso por tu casa mañana. (I’ll stop by your house tomorrow.)
Preterite Tense: Completed Actions In The Past
The preterite tense describes actions that had a clear beginning and end. You use this when you want to say you “spent” a specific weekend somewhere, or a specific event “happened” at a set time.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pasé | I passed / spent |
| Tú | Pasaste | You passed / spent |
| Él / Ella / Usted | Pasó | He/She passed |
| Nosotros | Pasamos | We passed / spent |
| Vosotros | Pasasteis | You all passed |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Pasaron | They passed |
Key nuance: Note that pasamos is the same in both the present and the preterite. You must rely on context words like ayer (yesterday) or hoy (today) to know which tense is active.
Example:Ayer pasé todo el día estudiando. (Yesterday I spent the whole day studying.) The action is finished and viewed as a single block of time.
Imperfect Tense: Ongoing Past Actions
The imperfect tense is distinct from the preterite. You use the imperfect to talk about repeated actions in the past, or “what was happening” when something else interrupted. It sets the background or describes habits.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pasaba | I used to pass |
| Tú | Pasabas | You used to pass |
| Él / Ella / Usted | Pasaba | He/She used to pass |
| Nosotros | Pasábamos | We used to pass |
| Vosotros | Pasabais | You all used to pass |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Pasaban | They used to pass |
When To Use Preterite Vs Imperfect With Pasar
Choosing between pasé and pasaba changes your story. This distinction often confuses learners, but it follows logic.
- Specific event:Use Preterite — El accidente pasó a las tres. (The accident happened at three.) It occurred once, at a specific point.
- Recurring habit:Use Imperfect — Siempre pasábamos los veranos en la playa. (We always used to spend summers at the beach.) This happened many times over a period.
- Background action:Use Imperfect — Yo pasaba por la calle cuando te vi. (I was passing by the street when I saw you.) The act of passing was in progress when the seeing happened.
Future And Conditional Tenses
These two tenses are the easiest to conjugate. For regular verbs like pasar, you do not drop the -ar ending. You simply attach the endings to the full infinitive verb.
Simple Future
Use this for actions that will happen or for probability in the present.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pasaré | I will pass |
| Tú | Pasarás | You will pass |
| Él / Ella | Pasará | He/She will pass |
| Nosotros | Pasaremos | We will pass |
| Vosotros | Pasaréis | You all will pass |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Pasarán | They will pass |
Probability Example:¿Qué pasará? (What will happen? / I wonder what is happening?) Native speakers often use the future tense to express wonder about the present.
Conditional
Use the conditional to say what “would” happen. It is used for hypothetical situations or polite requests.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pasaría | I would pass |
| Tú | Pasarías | You would pass |
| Él / Ella | Pasaría | He would pass |
| Nosotros | Pasaríamos | We would pass |
| Vosotros | Pasaríais | You would pass |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Pasarían | They would pass |
Polite Request:Soften the tone — ¿Me pasarías la sal? (Would you pass me the salt?) This sounds much nicer than using a command.
Rules For Conjugating Pasar In Spanish Compound Tenses
You cannot fully conjugate pasar in Spanish without looking at the compound tenses. These are formed using the auxiliary verb haber plus the past participle of pasar, which is pasado. The participle pasado never changes gender or number in these verb tenses.
Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto)
This covers actions that have happened recently or have relevance to the present. “I have passed.”
- Yo he pasado
- Tú has pasado
- Él ha pasado
- Nosotros hemos pasado
- Vosotros habéis pasado
- Ellos han pasado
Example:He pasado un mal día. (I have had/spent a bad day.) This is very common when summarizing your day so far.
Pluperfect (Pluscuamperfecto)
This describes the “past of the past.” Something had happened before another past action. “I had passed.”
- Yo había pasado
- Tú habías pasado
- Él había pasado
- Nosotros habíamos pasado
- Vosotros habíais pasado
- Ellos habían pasado
Example:Cuando llegué, el autobús ya había pasado. (When I arrived, the bus had already passed.)
The Subjunctive Mood For Pasar
The subjunctive deals with uncertainty, desires, emotions, and hypothetical situations. It is triggered by phrases like Espero que (I hope that) or Es posible que (It is possible that). Since pasar is regular, you swap the -ar vowel a for the -er/-ir vowel e.
Present Subjunctive
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Meaning (Contextual) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Pase | That I pass |
| Tú | Pases | That you pass |
| Él / Ella | Pase | That he passes |
| Nosotros | Pasemos | That we pass |
| Vosotros | Paséis | That you pass |
| Ellos / Ustedes | Pasen | That they pass |
Usage Trigger:Doubt or Wish — Quiero que pases tiempo conmigo. (I want you to spend time with me.) Here, the spending of time is a desire, not a fact, so pases is required.
Imperfect Subjunctive
There are two forms for the imperfect subjunctive: the -ra endings and the -se endings. The -ra form is much more common in daily speech in Latin America and Spain.
- Yo pasara (or pasase)
- Tú pasaras (or pasases)
- Él pasara (or pasase)
- Nosotros pasáramos (or pasásemos)
- Vosotros pasarais (or pasaseis)
- Ellos pasaran (or pasasen)
Hypothetical If-Clauses:Unlikely scenarios — Si algo pasara, te llamaría. (If something were to happen, I would call you.)
Mastering The Conjugation Of Pasar In Commands
The imperative mood is used for giving orders, instructions, or invitations. With pasar, this often translates to “Come in” or “Pass me that.” Note the difference between the informal (tú) and formal (usted) commands.
Affirmative Commands
- Tú:Pasa — ¡Pasa! (Come in!)
- Usted:Pase — Pase usted primero. (You go first.)
- Nosotros:Pasemos — Pasemos a la siguiente página. (Let’s move on to the next page.)
- Vosotros:Pasad — Pasad a la sala. (Go into the living room.)
- Ustedes:Pasen — Pasen por aquí. (Come through here.)
Negative Commands
Negative commands always use the subjunctive conjugation forms.
- Tú:No pases — No pases por ahí. (Don’t go that way.)
- Usted:No pase — No pase sin identificación. (Don’t enter without ID.)
- Ustedes:No pasen — No pasen frío. (Don’t get cold / Don’t endure cold.)
Common Idioms And Phrasal Verbs With Pasar
Native speakers use pasar in many fixed expressions. Understanding these will make your Spanish sound much more natural. The conjugation rules remain the same, but the meaning shifts.
Pasar de (algo/alguien):To ignore — This is colloquial slang in Spain. If you say Paso del tema, it means “I don’t care about that subject” or “I’m skipping it.” If you say Ella pasa de mí, it means “She is ignoring me.”
Pasar a (hacer algo):To proceed to — Used when changing activities. Ahora pasamos a comer. (Now we proceed to eat.) You will hear this in meetings or classrooms constantly.
Pasarlo bien/mal:To have a good/bad time — This uses the direct object pronoun lo. You conjugate pasar to match the person having the fun.
¿Lo pasaste bien? (Did you have a good time?)
Lo estamos pasando genial. (We are having a great time.)
Pasar por:To be considered as — Él pasa por experto. (He passes for / is considered an expert.) It can also mean to go through a place, as mentioned earlier.
Lo que pasa es que…:The thing is… — This phrase is a filler used to explain a situation or make an excuse. No te llamé porque, lo que pasa es que perdí mi móvil. (I didn’t call you because, the thing is, I lost my mobile.)
Quick Reference Drill For Learners
To truly learn to conjugate pasar in Spanish, you should practice shifting between tenses quickly. Try this simple mental exercise.
Drill 1:Change the time. Start with “I pass.” (Paso). Now make it yesterday. (Pasé). Now make it a habit in the past. (Pasaba). Now make it a future plan. (Pasaré).
Drill 2:Change the person. Start with “He enters.” (Pasa). Now make it “We enter.” (Pasamos). Now make it a command for “You all.” (Pasen).
Drill 3:Add a negative. Take “Pass me the bread.” (Pásame el pan). Now forbid it. (No me pases el pan).
Regular practice of these small shifts cements the endings in your memory better than memorizing a static table.
Key Takeaways: Conjugate Pasar in Spanish
➤ Pasar is a regular -ar verb; it keeps the stem “pas-” in all tenses.
➤ Meanings vary: to pass, to spend time, to happen, or to enter.
➤ Preterite “pasé” is for single events; Imperfect “pasaba” is for habits.
➤ Use “Lo pasé bien” to say “I had a good time” (idiomatic usage).
➤ Subjunctive forms trigger with doubt or emotion: “Espero que pases.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pasar a reflexive verb?
No, usually it is not reflexive. However, “pasarse” exists and changes the meaning. You use “pasarse” to mean going too far (exceeding limits) or for forgetting something (“se me pasó”). For standard meanings like passing by or spending time, do not use the reflexive pronoun.
How do you say “What happened?” using pasar?
You say “¿Qué pasó?” using the preterite tense if asking about a completed event. If you enter a room and see chaos, you might ask “¿Qué pasa?” (What is happening?) using the present tense. Both are correct depending on the timing of the event.
Can pasar mean to enter a room?
Yes. This is one of the most common polite commands. When someone knocks on your door, you say “¡Pasa!” or “¡Pase!” (formal). In this context, it functions exactly like the English “Come in” or “Enter.”
What is the difference between pasar and gastar?
Both can mean “to spend,” but they apply to different things. Use “pasar” for spending time (pasar tiempo). Use “gastar” for spending money (gastar dinero) or using up resources/energy. Never say “gastar tiempo” unless you mean wasting it like a resource.
What is the past participle of pasar?
The past participle is “pasado.” It is used to form perfect tenses like “he pasado” (I have passed). It also functions as an adjective or noun, meaning “past” or “stale” (for food), such as “el pan está pasado” (the bread is stale).
Wrapping It Up – Conjugate Pasar in Spanish
Mastering the verb pasar gives you a massive advantage in conversation. It is a workhorse verb that fits into dozens of daily scenarios. Because it is regular, you do not have to worry about stem changes or irregular endings. The challenge lies in mastering its context—knowing when “pass” becomes “spend” or “happen.”
Start by using the present indicative for your daily routines. Move on to recounting your weekend using the preterite pasé. Finally, try incorporating idioms like lo pasé bien to sound more like a native. With consistent practice, these conjugation tables will become second nature, and you will navigate Spanish conversations with confidence.