How to Say "went by" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “went by” is “pasaba” — use 'pasaba' when referring to a repeated action or habit in the past, indicating something that used to happen regularly..
pasaba
pah-SAH-bah/paˈsaβa/
Examples
Yo pasaba por esa calle todos los días.
I used to pass by that street every day.
¿Qué hora era? Él pasaba justo ahora.
What time was it? He was passing by just now.
La pelota pasaba cerca del poste, pero no entró.
The ball was passing close to the post, but it didn't go in.
Who is 'Pasaba'?
This form can mean 'I was passing' (yo), 'he/she was passing' (él/ella), or 'you were passing' (usted, the formal way).
The Imperfect Tense's Job
We use 'pasaba' to talk about actions that were ongoing, repeated habits, or general descriptions in the past, without a specific ending point.
Examples
El tiempo pasó muy rápido durante las vacaciones.
The time passed very quickly during the vacation.
pasaron
pah-SAH-rohn/paˈsaɾon/
Examples
Pasaron tres horas esperando el tren.
They spent three hours waiting for the train.
Pasaron el verano aprendiendo a cocinar.
They spent the summer learning to cook.
Measuring Time
When talking about time spent, 'pasar' is often followed directly by the amount of time, e.g., 'Pasaron dos días' (Two days passed).
Past Actions vs. Elapsed Time
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