Passer - French Expressions
The French verb passer usually means to pass, and is also used in many idiomatic expressions.
| passer | to pass | |
| to go over/under/through | ||
| (movie, music) | to show, put on | |
| (time) | to spend | |
| (liquid) | to strain | |
| passer + clothing | to slip on/into | |
| passer + infinitive | to go do something | |
| passer à la douane | to go through customs | |
| passer à la radio/télé | to be on the radio/TV | |
| passer à pas lents | to pass slowly | |
| passer de bouche en bouche | to be rumored about | |
| passer des faux billets | to pass forged money | |
| passer devant Monsieur le maire | to get married | |
| passer du coq à l'âne | to change the subject, make a non sequitur | |
| passer en courant | to run past | |
| passer en revue | to list | |
| (figurative) | to go over in one's mind, go through | |
| (military) | to (pass in) review, to inspect | |
| passer (en) + ordinal number | to put in ___ gear | |
| passer l'âge de | to be too old for | |
| passer l'arme à gauche | (fam) | to kick the bucket |
| passer la journée/soirée | to spend the day/evening | |
| passer la main dans le dos à qqun | to butter someone up | |
| passer la tête à la porte | to poke one's head around the door | |
| passer le cap | to get past the worst, turn the corner, get over the hurdle | |
| passer le cap des 40 ans | to turn 40 | |
| passer le poteau | to cross the finish line | |
| passer les bornes | to go too far | |
| passer les limites | to go too far | |
| passer les menottes à qqun | to handcuff someone | |
| passer par | to go through (an experience or intermediary) | |
| passer par de dures épreuves | to go through some rough times | |
| passer par toutes les couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel | to blush to the roots of one's hair, to turn pale (out of fear) | |
| passer par l'université | to go through college | |
| passer pour | to take for, be taken for | |
| passer qqchose à qqun | to pass/hand something to someone | |
| passer qqchose aux/par profits et pertes | to write something off (as a loss) | |
| passer qqchose en fraude | to smuggle something | |
| passer qqchose sous silence | to pass something over in silence | |
| passer qqun à tabac | to beat someone up | |
| passer qqun par les armes | to shoot someone by firing squad | |
| passer sa colère sur qqun | to take out one's anger on someone | |
| passer sa mauvaise humeur sur qqun | to take out one's bad mood on someone | |
| passer sa vie à faire | to spend one's life doing | |
| passer son envie de | to satisfy one's craving for | |
| passer son permis (de conduire) | to take one's driving test | |
| passer son tour | to miss one's turn | |
| passer sur | (detail, mistake) | to pass over, overlook |
| passer un caprice à qqun | to humor someone | |
| passer un coup de fil à qqun | to give someone a call | |
| passer un examen | to take/sit a test | |
| passer un livre à qqun | to loan someone a book | |
| passer un marché | to make a deal | |
| passer une visite médicale | to get/have a physical | |
| dire tout ce qui passe par la tête | to say whatever comes into one's head | |
| faire passer qqchose aux/par profits et pertes | to write something off (as a loss) | |
| faire passer qqun pour | to make someone out to be | |
| laisser passer | to let in/through/past | |
| pour faire passer | to wash down, to help (food) down | |
| pour passer le temps | to pass the time | |
| en passant | in passing, on one's way | |
| soit dit en passant | by the way, incidentally | |
| Un ange passe. | There's an awkward silence. | |
| Ça fait du bien par où ça passe ! | (inf) | That's just what the doctor ordered! |
| Ça fait passer le temps | It passes the time | |
| Ce n'est qu'un mauvais moment à passer | It's just a rough patch, bad spell | |
| Comme le temps passe vite ! | Time flies! | |
| Et j'en passe ! | And that's not all! | |
| Une idée m'est passé par la tête | I had an idea | |
| Je ne fais que passer | I can't stay, I'm just passing through | |
| Je vous passe + name | (on the phone) | I'm putting you through to ___, Here's ___ |
| Nous sommes tous passés par là | We've all been through that | |
| On lui passe tout | He gets away with anything, He gets whatever he wants | |
| Par où es-tu passé ? | Which way did you come? | |
| Passez-moi l'expression | (If you'll) pardon the expression | |
| Passez-moi du feu | Give me a light | |
| Passons | Let's move on, Let's not talk about that (any more) | |
| Qu'est-ce qu'il lui a passé (comme savon) ! | (inf) | He really laid into him, gave him a rough time! |
| Tu (le) fais passer | You pass it around | |
| se passer | to take place | |
| (time) | to pass, go by | |
| to give, pass to each other | ||
| se passer de | to do without | |
| se passer de commentaires | to speak for itself | |
| se passer la main dans le dos | to pat one another on the back | |
| se faire passer pour | to pretend to be, pass oneself off as | |
| Ça ne se passera pas comme ça ! | I won't stand for that! | |
| Je me passe de tes conseils ! | I can do without your advice! | |
| Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe en lui | I don't don't what's got into him, come over him | |
| Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ? | What happened? | |
| Tout c'est bien passé | Everything went smoothly, without a hitch | |
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All about Passer Conjugations of passer |
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