Introduction
Transcurrir means “to pass (time), to elapse”, and it is the verb you reach for when the thing itself is the subject — what is left over, what arises, what passes. Transcurrir means to pass or to elapse, and it is the formal verb for time passing: transcurrir los años, transcurrir el tiempo. Its subject is usually time itself, and it is a regular -ir verb. This page shows transcurrir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Transcurren los años muy rápido.” — The years pass very quickly.
Transcurrir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how transcurrir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use transcurrir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Transcurren los años muy rápido.” — The years pass very quickly.
“Transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” — Time passes without us noticing.
“Transcurre la tarde en silencio.” — The afternoon passes in silence.
“Transcurren los días de vacaciones.” — The holiday days pass.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show transcurrir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, transcurrieron los años muy rápido.” — Yesterday, the years passed very quickly. (preterite)
“Antes, transcurría el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” — Before, time used to pass without us noticing. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of transcurrir stays the same.
“Mañana, transcurrirá la tarde en silencio.” — Tomorrow, the afternoon will pass in silence. (future)
“Ya han transcurrido los días de vacaciones.” — Already, the holiday days have passed. (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Transcurren los años muy rápido.” — The years pass very quickly.
“Transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” — Time passes without us noticing.
“Transcurre la tarde en silencio.” — The afternoon passes in silence.
“Transcurren los días de vacaciones.” — The holiday days pass.
Transcurrir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how transcurrir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta?” — Does time pass without us noticing?
Pedro: “Sí, transcurren los años muy rápido.” — The years pass very quickly.
Marta: “¿Transcurre la tarde en silencio?” — Does the afternoon pass in silence?
Pedro: “Sí, transcurren los días de vacaciones.” — The holiday days pass.
Marta: “¿Transcurren los años muy rápido?” — Do the years pass very quickly?
Pedro: “Sí, transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” — Time passes without us noticing.
A short paragraph
Transcurren los años muy rápido, y transcurren los días de vacaciones. Transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta, y transcurre la tarde en silencio. Transcurrir is the verb for time passing, because the years, the afternoons and the holidays move on whether we notice or not.
Common mistakes with transcurrir
These are the errors learners actually make with transcurrir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo transcurro los años muy rápido.” Right: “Transcurren los años muy rápido.” Why: With transcurrir, the thing is the subject, not the person: transcurren is the form that agrees with los años muy rápido, and a person cannot be the subject of this verb in this sense.
Wrong: “Ayer, transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” Right: “Ayer, transcurrió el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: transcurre is happening now, while transcurrió is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating transcurrir and pasar as identical in every context.” Right: “Transcurrir means to pass (time), to elapse, while pasar means to pass.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: transcurrir fits sentences such as Transcurren los años muy rápido, while pasar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Es transcurrido el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” Right: “Ha transcurrido el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: ha transcurrido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, transcurrió la tarde en silencio todos los días.” Right: “De niño, transcurría la tarde en silencio todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (transcurría), not the preterite. The preterite (transcurrió) is for one finished action.
Quiz: transcurrir in use
Ten questions on transcurrir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “___ los años muy rápido.” (The years pass very quickly.)
- (a) transcurro
- (b) transcurres
- (c) transcurren
Answer: transcurren — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of transcurrir in the present tense is transcurren.
2. Complete the sentence: “___ el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” (Time passes without us noticing.)
- (a) transcurres
- (b) transcurre
- (c) transcurro
Answer: transcurre — The él/ella/Ud. form of transcurrir in the present tense is transcurre.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer, ___ los años muy rápido.” (The years passed very quickly.)
- (a) transcurrieron
- (b) transcurrí
- (c) transcurriste
Answer: transcurrieron — In the preterite, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of transcurrir is transcurrieron.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, ___ el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.” (Time used to pass without us noticing.)
- (a) transcurrías
- (b) transcurríamos
- (c) transcurría
Answer: transcurría — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of transcurrir is transcurría.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, ___ la tarde en silencio.” (The afternoon will pass in silence.)
- (a) transcurrirás
- (b) transcurrirá
- (c) transcurriré
Answer: transcurrirá — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of transcurrir is transcurrirá.
6. What does transcurrir mean in English?
- (a) to pass (time), to elapse
- (b) to survive
- (c) to pass
Answer: to pass (time), to elapse — Transcurrir means “to pass (time), to elapse”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo transcurro los años muy rápido.
- (b) Transcurren el tiempo sin darnos cuenta.
- (c) Transcurren los años muy rápido.
Answer: Transcurren los años muy rápido. — “Transcurren los años muy rápido.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “The years pass very quickly.” in Spanish?
- (a) Transcurren los días de vacaciones.
- (b) Transcurren los años muy rápido.
- (c) Transcurro los años muy rápido.
Answer: Transcurren los años muy rápido. — “Transcurren los años muy rápido.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of transcurrir in the present tense?
- (a) transcurre
- (b) transcurro
- (c) transcurres
Answer: transcurre — The él/ella/Ud. form is transcurre.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, transcurrirán los años muy rápido.
- (b) Transcurren los años muy rápido.
- (c) Ayer, transcurrieron los años muy rápido.
Answer: Transcurren los años muy rápido. — “Transcurren los años muy rápido.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'The years pass very quickly.' in Spanish?
Say 'Transcurren los años muy rápido'. The thing comes first as the subject, and the verb agrees with it.
How do you say 'Time passes without us noticing.' in Spanish?
Say 'Transcurre el tiempo sin darnos cuenta'. The subject is the thing itself, so the verb takes the él/ella/Ud. form: transcurre.
What is the difference between transcurrir and pasar?
Transcurrir means to pass (time), to elapse, while pasar means to pass. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use transcurrir when you mean to pass (time), to elapse, as in 'Transcurren los años muy rápido', and use pasar for to pass.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of transcurrir — every tense of transcurrir in one place.
- Transcurrir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on transcurrir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of transcurrir until they are automatic.