The preterite of pasar is used to express a specific instance of passing or spending time in the past, for example Pasé tres horas estudiando (I spent three hours studying). This tense emphasizes the completed action of passing time at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Its straightforward conjugation makes it an excellent example for practicing regular preterite forms.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Pasar (to pass/spend time) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of pasar describes completed actions of passing, happening, or spending time in the past.

To pass/go by: Describes movement past something, for example Pasé por tu casa (I passed by your house) or El tren pasó muy rápido (The train went by very fast).

To happen: Used for events occurring, for example ¿Qué pasó ayer? (What happened yesterday?).

To spend time: Refers to spending time, for example Pasé tres horas estudiando (I spent three hours studying).

Examples

Examples of Pasar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Pasé tres horas estudiando. (I spent three hours studying.)

Pasaste el examen con buena nota. (You passed the exam with a good grade.)

El tren pasó por la estación. (The train passed through the station.)

Pasamos el verano en la playa. (We spent the summer at the beach.)

Los días pasaron muy rápido. (The days passed very quickly.)

Pasé la sal a mi hermano. (I passed the salt to my brother.)

Pasaste mucho tiempo en el teléfono. (You spent a lot of time on the phone.)

El huracán pasó sin causar daños. (The hurricane passed without causing damage.)

Pasamos por momentos difíciles. (We went through difficult times.)

Los estudiantes pasaron al siguiente nivel. (The students passed to the next level.)

Pasé la noche en vela. (I spent the night awake.)

Pasaste por mi casa ayer. (You passed by my house yesterday.)

La película pasó de moda. (The movie went out of style.)

Pasamos la frontera sin problemas. (We crossed the border without problems.)

Las nubes pasaron lentamente. (The clouds passed slowly.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Pasar (to pass/spend time) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.