Pasar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of pasar — to spend — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Pasar is a multi-use verb: to pass, to spend time, to happen, to go by. ¿Qué pasa? means what is happening, pasar tiempo is to spend time, and me lo paso bien means I am having a good time. It is regular, which makes it a good model verb for -ar endings. This page gives you the complete present tense table for pasar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo paso mucho tiempo con mis amigos.” — “I spend a lot of time with my friends”.

Present tense conjugation of pasar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for pasar. Pasar is a regular -ar verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present tense indicative — pasar

Person Form
yo paso
tú pasas
él/ella/Ud. pasa
nosotros/as pasamos
vosotros/as pasáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. pasan

The gerund of pasar is pasando and the past participle is pasado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of pasar is formed

For a regular -ar verb, the present tense is built on the stem pas- (the infinitive pasar without its -ar ending) plus the present tense endings: yo → paso, tú → pasas, él/ella/Ud. → pasa, nosotros/as → pasamos, vosotros/as → pasáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → pasan. So pasar gives paso, pasas, pasa, pasamos, pasáis and pasan. There is nothing irregular to memorise for this verb in this tense — the endings do all the work, and the stress falls where the endings put it.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, pasáis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of pasar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with pasar: “Yo paso mucho tiempo con mis amigos.” — “I spend a lot of time with my friends”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with pasar: “Ella pasa por la tienda cada día.” — “She passes by the shop every day”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with pasar: “Nosotros pasamos las vacaciones en la playa.” — “We spend the holidays at the beach”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with pasar: “Ellos pasan la pelota al delantero.” — “They pass the ball to the striker”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: pasar now, pasar later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo paso mucho tiempo con mis amigos todos los días.” — “I spend a lot of time with my friends every day.”

  • Future: “Yo pasaré mucho tiempo con mis amigos mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will spend a lot of time with my friends.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella pasa mucho tiempo con mis amigos ahora.” — “She spends a lot of time with my friends now.”

  • Future: “Ella pasará mucho tiempo con mis amigos la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will spend a lot of time with my friends.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros pasamos mucho tiempo con mis amigos en clase.” — “We spend a lot of time with my friends in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros pasaremos mucho tiempo con mis amigos el lunes.” — “On Monday we will spend a lot of time with my friends.”

Example sentences: pasar in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of pasar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Yo paso mucho tiempo con mis amigos.” — “I spend a lot of time with my friends.”
  • “Ella pasa por la tienda cada día.” — “She passes by the shop every day.”
  • “Nosotros pasamos las vacaciones en la playa.” — “We spend the holidays at the beach.”
  • “Ellos pasan la pelota al delantero.” — “They pass the ball to the striker.”
  • “¿Qué pasa contigo?” — “What is happening with you?”
  • “Vosotros pasáis un buen rato aquí.” — “You have a good time here.”

Common mistakes with pasar in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: ¿Qué pasa? — learners confuse pasar with ocurrir.

Right: ¿Qué pasas?

¿Qué pasa? is the everyday what is happening; ocurrir is more formal.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Me lo paso bien — learners say estoy bien for having fun.

Right: Me lo paso bien.

Having a good time is pasárselo bien, not estar bien.

Quiz: pasar in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of pasar. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of pasar in the present tense?

  • A) paso
  • B) pasas
  • C) pasa
  • D) pasamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is paso.

2. What is the tú form of pasar in the present tense?

  • A) paso
  • B) pasa
  • C) pasamos
  • D) pasas

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is pasas.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of pasar in the present tense?

  • A) pasas
  • B) pasamos
  • C) pasa
  • D) paso

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is pasa.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of pasar in the present tense?

  • A) pasa
  • B) pasamos
  • C) paso
  • D) pasas

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is pasamos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ mucho tiempo con mis amigos.” (I spend a lot of time with my friends.)

  • A) paso
  • B) pasas
  • C) pasa
  • D) pasamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs paso.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ por la tienda cada día.” (She passes by the shop every day.)

  • A) paso
  • B) pasas
  • C) pasamos
  • D) pasa

Answer: D — The sentence needs pasa.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) ¿Qué pasa? — learners confuse pasar with ocurrir.
  • B) ¿Qué pasas?

Answer: B — ¿Qué pasa? is the everyday what is happening; ocurrir is more formal.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Me lo paso bien.
  • B) Me lo paso bien — learners say estoy bien for having fun.

Answer: A — Having a good time is pasárselo bien, not estar bien.

Frequently asked questions

Is pasar regular in the present tense?

Yes. pasar is a regular -ar verb and its present tense follows the standard endings, so once you know the stem pas- you can build all six forms. The only thing to watch is the spelling of the endings themselves, including the accents.

What is the yo form of pasar in the present tense?

It is paso. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for pasar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of pasar instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of pasar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — paso, pasas, pasa, pasamos, pasáis, pasan — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for pasar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo paso…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo pasé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo pasaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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