pasaron
“pasaron” means “they passed” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
they passed, they went by
Also: they went through
📝 In Action
Los niños pasaron la pelota por encima de la red.
A2The children passed the ball over the net.
Ellos pasaron por mi casa ayer, pero no se detuvieron.
A2They passed by my house yesterday, but they didn't stop.
they spent (time)
Also: went by
📝 In Action
Pasaron tres horas esperando el tren.
B1They spent three hours waiting for the train.
Pasaron el verano aprendiendo a cocinar.
B1They spent the summer learning to cook.
they happened, they occurred
Also: they took place
📝 In Action
Las cosas que pasaron en la reunión fueron increíbles.
B2The things that happened at the meeting were incredible.
¿Cómo pasaron exactamente los hechos?
B2How exactly did the events happen?
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pasaron
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'pasaron' is used in the sentence: 'Pasaron tres meses sin verla'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'pasar' comes from the Latin verb *passare*, which meant 'to step' or 'to walk.' This explains the primary meaning of movement, which then expanded to include the movement of time and the occurrence of events.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'pasaron' and 'pasaban'?
'Pasaron' is the preterite (simple past) and describes a finished action (e.g., 'They passed by the store once'). 'Pasaban' is the imperfect (ongoing past) and describes continuous, repeated, or habitual actions (e.g., 'They used to pass by the store every day').
Does 'pasaron' always mean 'they'?
Yes, 'pasaron' is always the third person plural form. This means the subject is 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all/y'all).