Passar
to pass / to spend (time) / to go through
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | passo | Eu passo tempo demais preocupada com o que não posso mudar. — I spend too much time worried about what I can't change. |
| você/ele/ela | passa | Ela passa o fim de semana inteiro lendo. — She spends the whole weekend reading. |
| nós | passamos | Nós passamos horas conversando sem perceber. — We spend hours talking without noticing. |
| eles/elas | passam | Eles passam por dificuldades mas não desistem. — They go through hardships but don't give up. |
I spend the best part of the day walking without a destination. My friend spends Sunday mornings with no commitments — sacred. We've been through very different phases together and remain intact. Time passes in different ways depending on what we do with it.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | passei | Eu passei por uma fase difícil e saí mais forte. — I went through a difficult phase and came out stronger. |
| você/ele/ela | passou | Ela passou o verão inteiro viajando. — She spent the whole summer travelling. |
| nós | passamos | Nós passamos a noite conversando. — We spent the night talking. |
| eles/elas | passaram | Eles passaram no concurso depois de três tentativas. — They passed the exam after three attempts. |
The semester was intense. I went through moments I thought I wouldn't get through. My therapist went through the same pages with me without judgement. We moved from uncertainty to clarity in a few months. Those who went through the same said it gets lighter — they were right.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | passava | Eu passava as tardes na casa da avó quando criança. — I used to spend afternoons at grandma's as a child. |
| você/ele/ela | passava | Ela passava horas no telefone com as amigas. — She used to spend hours on the phone with friends. |
| nós | passávamos | Nós passávamos o natal sempre na mesma casa. — We used to spend Christmas always at the same house. |
| eles/elas | passavam | Eles passavam por aqui toda semana. — They used to go past here every week. |
In childhood, I used to spend summers without a shirt and without a watch. My mum used to spend hours in the kitchen and that was love in the form of food. We used to spend Christmas at grandma's house and I can still smell it today. Childhood time used to pass slowly — an afternoon lasted a whole week.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou passar | Vou passar uns dias no sítio para descansar. — I'm going to spend a few days at the farm to rest. |
| você/ele/ela | vai passar | Ela vai passar por uma fase boa — sinto isso. — She's going to go through a good phase — I feel it. |
| nós | vamos passar | Vamos passar o réveillon juntos este ano. — We're going to spend New Year's Eve together this year. |
| eles/elas | vão passar | Eles vão passar em frente à loja às dez. — They're going to pass in front of the shop at ten. |
The holidays are booked. I'm going to spend fifteen days without opening email. My husband is going to spend his free time fishing. We're going to spend at least three nights camping. The children are going to go through this experience for the first time.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | passarei | Passarei a semana toda revisando os documentos. — I will spend the whole week reviewing the documents. |
| você/ele/ela | passará | O tempo passará — sempre passa. — Time will pass — it always does. |
| nós | passaremos | Passaremos por esse processo juntos. — We will go through this process together. |
| eles/elas | passarão | Os candidatos passarão por três etapas de seleção. — The candidates will go through three selection stages. |
The speech was direct: The finalists will go through a final practical assessment. We will spend the next few months consolidating the changes. The new employees will go through integration. I will go through each department for personal introductions.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | passaria | Eu passaria mais tempo com quem amo se o trabalho deixasse. — I would spend more time with those I love if work allowed. |
| você/ele/ela | passaria | Ela passaria o dia todo no museu se pudesse. — She would spend the whole day in the museum if she could. |
| nós | passaríamos | Passaríamos férias fora se as passagens fossem acessíveis. — We would spend holidays abroad if flights were affordable. |
| eles/elas | passariam | Eles passariam mais tempo juntos se morassem mais perto. — They would spend more time together if they lived closer. |
If time were elastic, I would spend more in silence and less on a screen. My grandmother would spend every afternoon sewing and talking. We would spend more quality time if routine didn't swallow everything. People would go through less stress with more space for transition.
Passar across the tenses
A short story using passar in multiple tenses
Minha mãe passava as tardes de sábado fazendo bolo — sem receita, de memória. Passava o tempo cantando na cozinha. Nós passávamos por volta das quatro para pegar o bolo ainda quente.
Hoje eu passo por aquela cozinha e ainda espero sentir o cheiro. Ontem passei a tarde fazendo o mesmo bolo — com receita, com dificuldade. Passamos assim as coisas de geração em geração.
No próximo sábado, vou passar a tarde na cozinha com minha filha. Se ela quiser, passaremos o dia inteiro experimentando — sem pressa.
Perguntei à minha mãe como ela passaria o tempo se pudesse escolher. Respondeu imediato: Passaria exatamente assim — com pessoas, comida e música. Não trocaria.
My mum used to spend Saturday afternoons making cake — without a recipe, from memory. She used to spend the time singing in the kitchen. We used to go by around four to get the cake while it was still warm. Today I go through that kitchen and still expect to smell it. Yesterday I spent the afternoon making the same cake — with a recipe, with difficulty. We pass things like this from generation to generation. Next Saturday, I'm going to spend the afternoon in the kitchen with my daughter. If she wants to, we will spend the whole day experimenting — no rush. I asked my mum how she would spend her time if she could choose. She answered immediately: I would spend it exactly like this — with people, food and music. I wouldn't swap it.
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