se passer

ByFast French

The French verb “se passer” means “to happen” or “to take place.”

  1. Literal Meaning – To Happen:
  • Example: “Qu’est-ce qui se passe ici ?” (What is happening here?)
  • In this context, “se passer” is used to inquire about a situation or event.
  1. To Take Place:
  • Example: “La réunion se passe dans la salle de conférence.” (The meeting is taking place in the conference room.)
  • Here, the verb is used to describe a specific location or setting where an event is occurring.
  1. To Go Well or Badly:
  • Example: “Tout s’est bien passé pendant l’entretien.” (Everything went well during the interview.)
  • In this instance, “se passer” is used to convey the outcome or progress of an event.

Conjugation in the Present Tense:

“Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used impersonally with “il,” “ça” or “ils.” It is not used with other subjects such as je, tu, elle, etc.

  • il se passe (it happens)
  • ça se passe (it happens)
  • ils se passent (they [those things/those events] happen)

Conjugation in the Passé Composé:

“Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used impersonally with “il,” “ça” or “ils.” It is not used with other subjects such as je, tu, elle, etc.

  • il s’est passé(e) (it happened/has happened/did happen)
  • ils se sont passés (they happened)

Etymology:

The verb “se passer” comes from Latin. The Latin verb “pāssus” means “step” or “pace.” Over time, this evolved into the Old French term “passer,” which originally meant “to take place” or “to come to pass.” The reflexive form, “se passer,” emerged as a way to describe “happening,” without resorting to the passive voice.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • regular -re verbs

    ByFast French

    French verbs that end in “re” also follow a regular pattern for their conjugation in the present tense and the passé composé. A good example is the verb “vendre,” which means “to sell.” Regular -re verb endings Person Ending je -s tu -s il/elle/on (no ending, just the stem) nous -ons vous -ez ils/elles -ent…

  • le pouvoir

    ByFast French

    The French masculine noun “le pouvoir” translates to “power” or “authority” in English. It comes from the French verb “pouvoir,” meaning “to be able,” or “can.” “Le pouvoir” has its roots in the Latin word “potere,” which means “to be able” or “to have the right.” This Latin term evolved into the Old French “povoir” before…

  • en catimini

    ByFast French

    “En catimini” is a French expression that means furtively, stealthily, on the sly or discreetly. It dates back to the second half of the 14th century. The word “catimini” is often linked to the Greek word “katamenia” which means menstruation. The idea being that women of the era kept their menstrual status largely to themselves….

  • douter

    ByFast French

    The verb “douter” means “to doubt” while its reflexive form “se douter” means “to suspect” or “to have an inkling.” These two forms have distinctly different meanings despite their shared root. Regular form: douter When using “douter,” you express uncertainty or skepticism about something. It is typically followed by “de” when used with a noun…

  • Verb: se souvenir de

    ByFast French

    “Se souvenir de” is the French verb meaning “to remember.” It is a reflexive verb and is always followed by “de,” or preceded by its equivalent “en.” Usage examples of “se souvenir de”: Using “En” to Replace “It” or “Them”: In French, the pronoun “en” is often employed with “se souvenir de” to replace previously…

  • |

    comme

    ByFast French

    The French word “comme” can function either as an adverb or as a conjunction. Adverb As an adverb, “comme” means “how.” Another word that is used similarly is “que.” Conjunction Comme as a conjunction can mean “as” or “like.” Idiomatic expressions Etymology: The word “comme” comes from the Latin word “quam.” In Old French, it…