pasó
/pa-SO/
happened
Visualizing 'happened': A sudden event startling two onlookers.
pasó(Verb)
📝 In Action
¿Qué pasó?
A1What happened?
Algo muy extraño pasó anoche en mi calle.
A2Something very strange happened last night on my street.
No sé qué pasó, pero de repente todos empezaron a correr.
B1I don't know what happened, but suddenly everyone started running.
💡 Grammar Points
A Finished Past Action (Preterite)
'Pasó' is used for actions that happened at a specific point in the past and are now completely finished. Think of it like a snapshot of a past event. For example, 'El accidente pasó a las tres' (The accident happened at three).
❌ Common Pitfalls
'Pasó' vs. 'Pasaba'
Mistake: "Using 'pasó' for an ongoing situation in the past, like 'Mientras dormía, la tormenta pasó'."
Correction: Use 'pasaba' for background actions: 'Mientras dormía, la tormenta pasaba' (While I was sleeping, the storm was happening). Use 'pasó' for the single, completed event: 'La tormenta pasó y salió el sol' (The storm passed and the sun came out).
⭐ Usage Tips
Your Go-To Question
The question '¿Qué pasó?' is incredibly useful. You can use it when you walk into a room and see a surprising situation, when a friend looks upset, or when you hear a loud noise.
Visualizing 'passed': A vehicle moving swiftly past a fixed location.
pasó(Verb)
📝 In Action
El tiempo pasó muy rápido durante las vacaciones.
A2The time passed very quickly during the vacation.
El autobús ya pasó, tenemos que esperar el siguiente.
A2The bus already passed, we have to wait for the next one.
Pasó por mi casa pero no se detuvo.
B1He passed by my house but didn't stop.
💡 Grammar Points
Team Up with 'por'
When you talk about passing a specific place, you almost always use the little word 'por' right after. 'Pasó por la oficina' means 'He passed by the office'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Time as the Actor
When talking about time, think of the time itself (the hour, the day, the year) as the thing doing the action. 'Pasó una hora' literally means 'An hour passed itself'.
Visualizing 'spent time': A peaceful scene showing time devoted to reading.
📝 In Action
Ella pasó el fin de semana en las montañas.
B1She spent the weekend in the mountains.
Pasó toda la tarde leyendo un libro.
B1He spent the whole afternoon reading a book.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Time vs. Money
Mistake: "Using 'gastó' for time: 'Gastó el verano en España.'"
Correction: Use 'pasó' for time: 'Pasó el verano en España.' The verb 'gastar' is almost always used for spending money, not time.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pasó
Question 1 of 2
In the sentence 'Mi amigo pasó el examen de conducir', what does 'pasó' mean?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'pasó' and 'pasaba'?
Think of it like a movie. 'Pasó' is for the main actions that move the story forward, like 'The phone rang' ('El teléfono sonó'). 'Pasaba' is for the background description, like 'It was raining' ('Llovía'). So, 'El accidente pasó' means the accident happened (a single, completed event), while 'El tiempo pasaba lento' means time was passing slowly (an ongoing description).
Is 'pasó' only for 'he' and 'she'?
No, it's also for 'usted' (the formal 'you'). So 'Usted pasó por aquí' means 'You (formal) passed by here'. It covers he, she, it, and the formal you.