Passait (en. Was passing)

/pa.sɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
verb
Indicate that an event or action occurs or was occurring at a certain point in the past.
He often passed by this way.
Il passait souvent par ce chemin.
Express the movement from one place to another, usually intermittently.
The train was passing at full speed.
Le train passait à toute vitesse.
Mean that something is no longer observable, once upon a time.
The sun was passing behind the mountains.
Le soleil passait derrière les montagnes.
Describe a period of time in which something was happening.
When I was young, my days passed slowly.
Lorsque j'étais jeune, mes journées passaient lentement.

Etymology

Origin of the verb 'passer' from Latin 'passare', meaning 'to let pass'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

it passed a minute
Expresses the brevity of a moment.
passait un minut
he was passing the time
Indicates that a person is occupying their time aimlessly.
il passait le temps
it was happening
Refers to past events.
cela se passait

Related Words

passer
Verb meaning to move something from one place to another.
passer
passe
Noun designating an act of passing.
passe
passage
Act of passing through something.
passage

Slang Meanings

Stay still for a moment.
He was passing by in his corner without saying anything.
Il passait dans son coin sans rien dire.
Have a chance to do something.
We had good evenings together.
On a passé de bonnes soirées ensemble.