The French verb passer appears frequently in everyday speech. It covers a wide range of meanings, from physical movement to time, media, and social interactions. Because it resembles the English verb “to pass,” learners often assume it works the same way. In some cases it does, but in many others it does not.

---

Physical Movement

In its most literal sense, passer means to move past or through a place. This is the meaning closest to the English “to pass.”

• Je passe devant la gare.
  (I walk past the station.)
• Le train passe à 14h.
  (The train passes at 2 PM.)
• Il est passé par Paris.
  (He went through Paris.)

These uses are relatively intuitive for English speakers and rarely cause confusion.

---

Spending Time

One of the most common uses of passer is to talk about time. In French, you do not “spend” time—you pass it. This is a normal and neutral construction.

• J’ai passé trois jours à Londres.
  (I spent three days in London.)
• Elle passe beaucoup de temps à lire.
  (She spends a lot of time reading.)
• Nous avons passé de bonnes vacances.
  (We had a good holiday.)

This use is not idiomatic or figurative in French; it is the standard way to express duration.

---

Stopping By or Visiting

When used in a social context, passer often means to stop by or come over briefly. It implies a short visit, not a casual walk past.

• Je passerai chez toi ce soir.
  (I will stop by your place tonight.)
• Tu peux passer à la pharmacie ?
  (Can you drop by the pharmacy?)
• Il est passé voir sa sœur.
  (He went to see his sister.)

This is a practical, everyday use that learners should become familiar with early on.

---

Media and Broadcasting

Passer is also used to describe what is being shown, played, or broadcast.

• On passe ce film au cinéma.
  (This film is showing at the cinema.)
• Ils passent toujours de la musique classique.
  (They always play classical music.)
• Qu’est-ce qui passe à la télé ?
  (What is on TV?)

This usage covers television, radio, streaming, and cinema.

---

Figurative Expressions

Passer appears in a number of fixed expressions. Two common ones are:

• Passer les bornes – to go too far or cross a line.
• Passer outre – to disregard or overlook something.

Examples:

• Il a passé les bornes avec cette remarque.
  (He crossed the line with that comment.)
• Elle a passé outre les objections.
  (She disregarded the objections.)

These expressions are useful but are best learned as set phrases rather than as extensions of the literal meaning.

---

A Note on Exams

This is one of the most frequent points of confusion for learners.

In French, passer un examen means to take an exam. It does not indicate whether you succeeded or failed.

• J’ai passé mon examen hier.
  (I took my exam yesterday.)

To say that you passed (i.e., succeeded), use:

• J’ai réussi mon examen.
  (I passed my exam.)

or

• Je suis reçu à mon examen.
  (I passed my exam.)

This distinction is important. Using passer alone leaves the outcome unclear.

---

Auxiliary Verbs in the Past Tense

In the passé composé, passer can take either avoir or être as its auxiliary, depending on the meaning.

• With être (no direct object):
  Je suis passé à la banque.
  (I stopped by the bank.)
• With avoir (direct object or time duration):
  J’ai passé la porte.
  (I went through the door.)
  J’ai passé une heure à attendre.
  (I spent an hour waiting.)

This rule is consistent and worth memorising early on.

---

Summary Table

Use	French Example	English Translation
Physical movement	Je passe devant l’école.	I walk past the school.
Spending time	Elle a passé l’été à Nice.	She spent the summer in Nice.
Stopping by	Je passe te voir demain.	I will come see you tomorrow.
Showing / playing	On passe un bon film.	They are showing a good film.
Taking an exam	J’ai passé le DELF.	I took the DELF exam.
Succeeding in an exam	J’ai réussi le DELF.	I passed the DELF exam.
Crossing the line	Tu passes les bornes.	You are going too far.

---

Final Remarks

Passer is a versatile and frequently used verb in French. It shares some ground with the English “to pass,” but it also has several meanings that do not translate directly. The key is to learn its various uses as separate functions rather than treating it as a single equivalent.

Paying attention to context, especially with time expressions and exam-related language, will help avoid common misunderstandings. With regular exposure and practice, the different uses of passer become familiar and easy to apply.