← French Vocab Builder

passé

English translation of passé

past

The French word 'passé' is used to denote past time or something that happened before now. It's similar to how we use past in English to denote any time before the current moment. It can be used in various contexts, either to refer to a past event, a past tense, or to a period in history.


Example sentences using: passé

L'été est passé.

English translation of L'été est passé.

The summer has passed.

In this phrase, 'passé' is used to indicate that a period (summer) has concluded or ended.

Ils ont passé la porte.

English translation of Ils ont passé la porte.

They passed the door.

This phrase uses 'passé' to describe the action of people moving past a door, meaning they went beyond it or through it.

Elle est passé par ici.

English translation of Elle est passé par ici.

She passed by here.

In this phrase, 'passé' is used as a verb to denote that someone has moved through or by a particular location.

J'ai passé un bon moment.

English translation of J'ai passé un bon moment.

I had a good time.

Here, 'passé' is used in the context of experiencing or spending a specified period, in this case, a 'good time.'

Le temps est passé très vite.

English translation of Le temps est passé très vite.

Time has passed very quickly.

In this phrase, 'passé' is used in the context of the past tense. It implies that time has fled or gone by very quickly, perhaps referring to an event, day, or period that the speaker felt was over too soon.

Il a passé l'exam.

English translation of Il a passé l'exam.

He passed the exam.

In this instance, 'passé' is used to depict the successful completion of a task, in this case, an exam. It expresses the notion of overcoming or succeeding.

Où est le passé simple?

English translation of Où est le passé simple?

Where is the simple past?

This phrase may refer to seeking the past simple tense in a language lesson or textbook. 'Passé' is part of the longer term 'passé simple,' which is a French tense indicating events completed in the past.

C'est du passé.

English translation of C'est du passé.

It's in the past.

Here, 'passé' denotes something that happened in the past and is no more relevant to the present or future. The phrase implies a sense of moving on from past events.

Son amour est un passé révolu.

English translation of Son amour est un passé révolu.

His love is a thing of the past.

In this context, 'passé' in the term 'passé révolu' directly translates to the English phrase 'thing of the past,' referring to something that was once present but now is not.

Nous avons passé les limites.

English translation of Nous avons passé les limites.

We have crossed the limits.

In this sentence, 'passé' is used to indicate surpassing or going beyond a particular restriction or boundary, referring to 'limits' in this instance.

Made with JoyBird