What Does Passar Mean in Portuguese? Spend, Pass, or Happen
Passar can describe a passing object, a stretch of time, or an event. Use the sentence to find its meaning.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Passar can mean to spend or pass time. The phrase passar um tempo can describe spending some time with a person or in a place.
Use passar to talk about time
Name the duration or activity so the listener understands which kind of time you mean.
Passei a tarde com meus primos.
I spent the afternoon with my cousins.
Vamos passar o fim de semana na praia.
We’re going to spend the weekend at the beach.
O tempo passou rápido.
Time passed quickly.
Use passar for movement or handing something over
Passar can mean to go past or to hand something to someone. Add the object or destination to make the action clear.
For giving or taking an item, context helps distinguish passar from pegar, levar, or trazer.
O ônibus passou pelo centro.
The bus passed through downtown.
Pode me passar o sal?
Could you pass me the salt?
Vou passar na farmácia antes de voltar.
I’m going to stop by the pharmacy before returning.
Ask what is happening
O que está acontecendo? and O que se passa? can ask what is going on. In conversation, the surrounding details help you understand whether passar refers to an event, change, or movement.
Our guide to dar certo and other phrases explains another common verb with several context-dependent meanings.
O que está se passando aqui?
What is going on here?
O que aconteceu com o projeto?
What happened to the project?
A gripe passou depois de alguns dias.
The flu went away after a few days.
Put it into practice
Record one sentence about time, one about movement, and one about what is happening. Keep the object or context with passar.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I’m going to stop by the pharmacy before returning”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.