The English verb 'to pass' is incredibly versatile. You can pass an exam, pass a car on the highway, pass the salt, or even pass away. When speaking French, however, you can't simply use one verb for all these meanings.

Depending on the context, French uses a variety of specific verbs to express the different concepts behind 'to pass'. Learning them is a great way to make your French sound more precise and natural.

Let's explore nine common ways to say 'to pass' in French so you can navigate any conversation with ease!

2. The standard 'to pass' (by, an exam, time) – passer

Passer is one of the most versatile and common verbs in French. While its core meaning relates to 'passing,' its usage extends to spending time, taking exams, and even describing events, making it essential for everyday conversation.

The most literal and frequent use of passer is to mean 'to pass by,' 'to go past,' or 'to stop by.' In this context, it describes physical movement past a location or person. For example, Je passe chez toi ce soir means 'I'll stop by your place tonight.'

A key challenge with passer is choosing the correct auxiliary verb in the passé composé. The rule is simple:

• Use être when passer means 'to pass by' or 'to go by' (movement without a direct object). Example: Elle est passée devant la boutique. (She passed by the shop.)
• Use avoir when passer is transitive, meaning it has a direct object, such as when 'spending time' or 'passing something to someone.' Example: J'ai passé une bonne journée. (I had a good day.)

When used with a direct object related to time (like le temps, des vacances, une soirée), passer means 'to spend.' This is an extremely common construction. For instance, Nous avons passé le week-end à la plage means 'We spent the weekend at the beach.'

This is a classic 'false friend' for English speakers. Passer un examen does not mean you passed the exam. It means you took or sat the exam. The outcome is unknown.

To say you successfully passed an exam, you must use the verb réussir. So, J'ai passé l'examen means 'I took the exam,' while J'ai réussi l'examen means 'I passed the exam.' This is a critical distinction.

The reflexive form, se passer, means 'to happen' or 'to take place.' It's used to ask about or describe events. The famous question Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? translates to 'What's happening?' or 'What's going on?'

💡 * Je suis passé te voir, mais tu n'étais pas là. (I came by to see you, but you weren't there.)

• Ils ont passé deux heures à faire leurs devoirs. (They spent two hours doing their homework.)
• Elle va passer son permis de conduire la semaine prochaine. (She is going to take her driving test next week.)
• J'espère que tu as réussi ton examen ! (I hope you passed your exam!)
• L'histoire se passe au 18ème siècle. (The story takes place in the 18th century.)

The 'to pass an exam' or 'to succeed' – réussir (à un examen)

The verb for 'to pass an exam' or 'to succeed' is réussir.

Réussir is a fundamental French verb that means 'to succeed,' 'to be successful,' or 'to pass.' It's incredibly versatile and applies to academic tests, personal goals, and professional projects.

When you want to say you passed a specific thing, like a test or a competition, you typically use the construction réussir à + [noun]. For example, réussir à un examen (to pass an exam) or réussir à un concours (to succeed in a competition).

To express 'succeeding in doing something' or 'managing to do something,' you use the structure réussir à + [infinitive verb]. This is useful for describing the successful completion of an action, like réussir à réparer la voiture (to succeed in fixing the car).

A very common mistake for English speakers is to confuse réussir with passer. In French, passer un examen means 'to take an exam,' regardless of the outcome. To say you were successful, you must use réussir.

Sometimes, you can use réussir directly with an object, especially with things you create or accomplish, such as réussir un gâteau (to successfully bake a cake) or réussir sa vie (to be successful in life). The key is remembering that for exams, the à is standard.

💡 * J'ai travaillé dur et j'ai réussi à mon examen. (I worked hard and I passed my exam.)

• Elle a enfin réussi à ouvrir la porte. (She finally managed to open the door.)
• Si tu continues comme ça, tu vas réussir. (If you keep on like this, you are going to succeed.)
• N'oubliez pas que 'passer un examen' signifie 'to take an exam', pas 'to pass' ! (Don't forget that 'passer un examen' means 'to take an exam', not 'to pass'!)

The 'to pass' or 'overtake' (a car, a person) – dépasser

The verb dépasser is the most direct French equivalent for 'to pass' or 'to overtake.' Its primary meaning relates to physically moving past something or someone.

Its most common use is in the context of driving or movement. You use dépasser when a car overtakes another on the road, a runner passes a competitor in a race, or you walk past someone on the street.

Dépasser also means 'to exceed' or 'to go beyond' a limit, number, or expectation. This is used for things like exceeding a budget, surpassing a goal, or going over a deadline.

Figuratively, dépasser can mean 'to be beyond' or 'to overwhelm.' A common phrase is 'Ça me dépasse,' which translates to 'That's beyond me' or 'I can't get my head around it.'

Good news for learners: dépasser is a regular -er verb, so its conjugation follows the standard, predictable pattern of verbs like parler (to speak).

💡 * Il ne faut pas dépasser la voiture devant nous. (You must not pass the car in front of us.)

• Les résultats ont dépassé toutes nos attentes. (The results exceeded all our expectations.)
• J'ai dépassé la date limite pour rendre mon devoir. (I went past the deadline for handing in my homework.)
• La complexité du problème me dépasse. (The complexity of the problem is beyond me.)

The 'to pass' as in 'to happen' or 'take place' – se passer

The pronominal verb se passer is the go-to verb in French when you want to say that something 'happens' or 'takes place'. It's essential for describing events and situations.

As a pronominal verb, the action reflects back on the subject. You'll most often hear it in the indispensable question, Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? which translates to 'What's happening?' or 'What's going on?'.

It's crucial not to confuse se passer with passer. While passer means 'to pass' (e.g., to pass time, to pass an exam), se passer is exclusively used for events, stories, or situations that unfold or occur.

You will use se passer constantly to describe where a story is set (e.g., le film se passe à Paris), to ask about a situation, or to recount a sequence of events that occurred in the past.

💡 * Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici ? (What is happening here?)

• L'histoire se passe en France pendant la guerre. (The story takes place in France during the war.)
• L'accident s'est passé très vite. (The accident happened very quickly.)
• Dis-moi ce qui s'est passé hier. (Tell me what happened yesterday.)

The 'to pass' (an object to someone) – transmettre or donner

When you want to say you're 'passing' an object or information to someone, French offers two primary verbs: donner (to give) and transmettre (to transmit/pass on). While both can be used, they are not always interchangeable and depend heavily on the context.

Donner is the most common and versatile choice for everyday situations. It literally means 'to give,' but it's the natural equivalent of 'to pass' for simple physical actions, like at the dinner table. If you're physically handing an object to someone with no special ceremony, donner is almost always the right word.

Transmettre implies a more formal or significant transfer. It means 'to transmit,' 'to pass on,' or 'to hand down.' You use this verb for things that have more weight than a simple object: passing on knowledge, a message, a tradition, a title, or even a disease. It suggests a chain of transmission from one person to another.

The core difference lies in the nature of what is being passed. You donne the butter to your friend, but a grandmother transmet her secret recipe to her grandchild. The first is a simple physical act; the second is the passing of heritage or knowledge.

For learners, a simple rule is: if you can replace 'pass' with 'give' in English without changing the meaning, use donner. If 'pass on,' 'hand down,' or 'transmit' fits better, use transmettre.

💡 * Peux-tu me donner le sel, s'il te plaît ? (Can you pass me the salt, please?)

• Il m'a donné les clés avant de partir. (He passed me the keys before leaving.)
• Le médecin a peur de lui transmettre la mauvaise nouvelle. (The doctor is afraid to pass the bad news on to him.)
• Mon grand-père m'a transmis sa passion pour la musique. (My grandfather passed on his passion for music to me.)

The 'to pass' (a law or a bill) – adopter (une loi)

When discussing the passing of a law or a bill in French, the correct verb to use is adopter. This is a classic 'false friend' for English speakers, because while it looks like 'to adopt', its meaning in a political or legal context is quite specific.

In French, adopter literally means 'to adopt', such as adopting a child or a pet. However, in governmental and legal terminology, it exclusively means 'to pass' or 'to enact'. It signifies that a legislative body, like a parliament or assembly, has officially approved a bill (un projet de loi) or a law (une loi) through a vote.

A frequent error learners make is translating 'to pass a law' directly using the verb passer. While passer means 'to pass' in many other contexts (e.g., passer un examen - to pass an exam), it is incorrect for legislation. You should never say le parlement a passé la loi.

The correct and natural-sounding phrase is always constructed with adopter. For example, Le Parlement a **adopté** la loi. Remembering this distinction is key to speaking about politics and current events accurately in French.

💡 * L'Assemblée nationale a adopté le projet de loi hier soir. (The National Assembly passed the bill last night.)

• La nouvelle loi sur l'environnement a été adoptée à une large majorité. (The new environmental law was passed by a large majority.)
• Les sénateurs ont refusé d'adopter l'amendement proposé. (The senators refused to pass the proposed amendment.)
• Si la loi est adoptée, elle entrera en vigueur le mois prochain. (If the law is passed, it will come into effect next month.)

The 'to pass' (for time) – s'écouler

When you want to describe the passage of time in a more fluid or literary way, the reflexive verb s'écouler is the perfect choice. It literally means 'to flow' or 'to run out,' and when applied to time, it evokes a sense of continuous, steady movement.

Unlike the more common verb passer, s'écouler is used almost exclusively with subjects related to time, such as le temps (time), les jours (the days), les années (the years), or les heures (the hours). It adds a slightly more formal or poetic tone to the sentence.

As a reflexive verb, s'écouler always conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses like the passé composé. Remember to make the past participle agree with the subject. For example: Une heure s'est écoulée (An hour has passed).

💡 * Le temps s'écoule vite quand on est en bonne compagnie. (Time passes quickly when you are in good company.)

• Trois ans se sont écoulés depuis son départ. (Three years have passed since his departure.)
• Les jours s'écoulent lentement pendant l'hiver. (The days pass slowly during the winter.)

The 'to pass away' or 'to die' – mourir or décéder

To express the concept of dying in French, the two most important verbs are mourir and décéder. While they have the same core meaning, they differ significantly in formality and usage, similar to the distinction between 'to die' and 'to pass away' in English.

Mourir is the standard, common verb for 'to die.' It is used in all everyday situations, from personal conversations to literature. It's an irregular verb, and its past participle, mort(e), is also the noun for 'death' or 'dead person'.

Décéder is the formal and administrative equivalent, meaning 'to pass away' or 'to be deceased.' You will encounter this verb in official announcements, legal documents, news reports, and obituaries. It is more neutral and less emotionally charged than mourir.

Use mourir when talking about the death of a person or animal in a general or personal context. Reserve décéder for formal, official, or public communications where a more respectful and detached tone is appropriate.

💡 * Mon grand-père est mort l'année dernière. (My grandfather died last year.)

• La célèbre chanteuse est décédée des suites d'une longue maladie. (The famous singer passed away following a long illness.)
• Il est mort dans un accident de voiture. (He died in a car accident.)
• Selon le rapport, la personne est décédée à 14h00. (According to the report, the person was deceased at 2:00 PM.)

1. The 'to pass' (a ball in sports) – faire une passe

When you want to say 'to pass' a ball in a sports context in French, the most common phrase is faire une passe. This literally translates to 'to make a pass' and is universally understood in sports like soccer, basketball, and rugby.

The expression consists of two key parts: the verb faire (to do/make) and the noun une passe (a pass). To use it correctly, you must conjugate the verb faire according to the subject and tense of your sentence. The noun phrase une passe remains constant.

Remember that faire is an irregular verb. For instance, in the present tense (le présent), it is conjugated as follows: je fais une passe (I pass), tu fais une passe (you pass), il/elle fait une passe (he/she passes).

While faire une passe is very common, you can also use the verb passer on its own, often followed by le ballon (the ball). For example, Il passe le ballon à son ami means 'He passes the ball to his friend.' Both forms are correct, but faire une passe specifically emphasizes the action of making a single pass.

💡 * Le joueur de foot doit faire une passe à son coéquipier. (The soccer player must make a pass to his teammate.)

• Elle a fait une passe décisive juste avant la fin du match. (She made an assist just before the end of the game.)
• Fais une passe, ne garde pas le ballon ! (Make a pass, don't keep the ball!)
• L'entraîneur leur a appris à faire des passes rapides. (The coach taught them to make quick passes.)

Are there other ways to say 'to pass' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to pass' in French?

This list covers the most essential French verbs for 'to pass', but the true key is understanding context. The verb passer itself is incredibly versatile, and choosing the right synonym often depends entirely on what or how you are 'passing'.

To expand your vocabulary, try searching online for specific situations. For example, look up “comment dire pass the salt en français” or “verbe pour pass an exam en français” to see the nuances in action.

Always check a verb's definition and look for example sentences before using it. A verb like dépasser (to overtake/pass a car) is not interchangeable with réussir (to pass a test), even though both can be translated as 'to pass' in English.

The best way to master these verbs is through immersion. As you listen to French music, watch movies, or read books, pay close attention to how native speakers express the idea of 'passing' in different contexts. You'll start to develop an intuitive feel for it.

For a deep dive into the many meanings of the verb passer and its various synonyms, the WordReference entry for passer is an excellent and comprehensive resource.

I hope this guide has helped clarify the many ways to say 'to pass' in French. Mastering these verbs is a significant step forward in your language journey. With practice, you'll soon pass from being a learner to a confident speaker. Keep up the great work!