pasé

Pasé is the first-person singular form of the preterite tense of the Spanish verb pasar. The verb pasar has several senses, including to pass by, to pass through, to happen, to spend (time), or to transfer. In the preterite, pasé marks a completed action in the past and is used when the speaker wants to convey that the action occurred and concluded at a specific time.

Etymology and grammar: Pasar derives from Latin passare, related to passus meaning a step or pace. Pasé is formed from the infinitive pasar by removing -ar and adding the preterite endings; for yo the ending is -é, with an acute accent to indicate the stressed syllable. The form pasé is regular for -ar verbs in the preterite.

Usage notes: Pasé is used across Spanish-speaking regions. It can describe physically crossing or moving past a place, as in “Pasé la casa y no estaba.” It can indicate spending time, for example “Pasé dos horas leyendo,” meaning I spent two hours reading. It also appears in phrases like “pasé por la tienda” (I stopped by the store) or “pasé la frontera” (I crossed the border). In addition to narrative past, pasé can appear in contexts that specify a completed action at a particular time, contrasting with imperfect forms that describe ongoing past actions.

See also: the verb pasar, its other tenses and uses, and related expressions for passing, spending time, or crossing.