pasando

Pasando is the present participle of the Spanish verb pasar. It forms the progressive aspect when used with estar, as in Estoy pasando, meaning “I am passing” or “I am going through.” It also describes ongoing movement through space or the passage of time, for example “Estoy pasando por el parque” (I am passing through the park) or “El tiempo está pasando” (time is passing).

Etymology and range of meaning: Pasar comes from Latin passus, and passing shares cognates with related verbs in Romance languages. The form pasar and its gerund pasan have broad use in everyday speech and writing. As a non-finite verb form, pasar's participle commonly combines with auxiliary verbs or prepositions rather than functioning as a standalone adjective.

Usage notes: Spatial use with prepositions such as por indicates movement through a place (for example, “Estoy pasando por la ciudad”). Temporal use expresses the flow of time (“Los días están pasando”). The gerund can also appear in continuous narration about events in progress. Idioms involving the base verb, such as “pasar por alto” (to overlook), are common, though the literal gerund form “pasando por alto” occurs mainly in ongoing descriptions of that action.

Examples: “Estoy pasando por el puente.” “Vamos pasando por el barrio.” “El tiempo va pasando.” “Los años están pasando sin que nada cambie.” “El ministro está pasando por alto los informes.”