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il passait

used to come by, used to stop by, was having (a good time), was going by, was passing

→ passer
pass to pass, to skip + ait il/elle imperfect conjugation
verb · 3rd-person singular, imperfect tense Uncommon #10,689
used to come by, used to stop by
FR: Il passait souvent chez ses amis.
EN: He often used to stop by his friends’ place.
was having (a good time)
FR: Elle passait un bon moment avec ses amis.
EN: She was having a good time with her friends.
was going by, was passing
FR: La voiture passait à toute allure.
EN: The car was going by at full speed.
was going through
FR: Mon appel ne passait pas.
EN: My call wasn’t going through.
was playing, was on
FR: Ma chanson préférée passait à la radio.
EN: My favorite song was playing on the radio.
Conjugation of passer
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First passais —
Second passais passiez
Third passait passaient

On passait un bon moment.

We were having a good time.

— Bugonia (2025)

On passait à table.

We were sitting down to eat.

— Chicago (2002)

Si maintenant on passait à quelque chose de nouveau ?

What if we moved on to something new now?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Tom passait une mauvaise journée.

Tom was having a bad day.

La musique passait doucement.

The music played softly.

— Memories of Murder (2003)

Elle passait les vacances d'été à la maison.

She spent her summer vacation at home.

— Divorce à l'italienne (1961)

Un tramway passait.

A streetcar was passing by.

Il passait sa vie là.

He spent his life there.

— Les Lundis au soleil (2002)

J'ai essayé de te joindre au téléphone mais ça ne passait pas.

I tried to call you, but I couldn't get through.

Quand on s'est parlé, j'ai senti que le courant passait.

When we talked, I felt that we clicked.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

Il savait ce qui s'y passait.

He knew what was going on there.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

Une chanson français passait à la radio.

A French song was playing on the radio.

La grand-route passait par ici, avant !

The main road used to pass through here!

— Psychose (1960)

Mais le bébé a pleuré juste quand la police passait.

But the baby cried just as the police were passing by.

— Le Pianiste (2002)

Qu'est-ce qu'on y passait ?

What did we spend there?

— Amarcord (1973)

La musique passait en boucle.

The music was playing on repeat.

Vous voulez sans doute dire passait par les canaux du Parti communiste, exact ?

You presumably mean it went through the Communist Party's channels, right?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

L'une de mes chansons préférées passait à la radio.

One of my favorite songs was playing on the radio.

Mais le temps passait.

But time passed.

Tom passait un mauvais quart d'heure.

Tom was having a rough time.

Avant, il passait tous les jours chez nous.

Before, he came to our house every day.

Avant, il passait chez nous tous les jours.

Before, he came to our house every day.

Sami passait l'aspirateur devant lui.

Sami was vacuuming in front of him.

Nous avons parlé de tout ce qui nous passait par la tête.

We talked about whatever came to mind.

Il l'a modifié quand ça passait les portes !

He modified it while it was going through the doors!

— Ratatouille (2007)

Elle m'avait demandé de l'arrêter s'il passait aux aveux.

She had asked me to arrest him if he confessed.

— Ne le dis à personne (2006)

Quand j'étais petit un vendeur passait devant la maison.

When I was little, a salesman used to walk past the house.

— Les Anges déchus (1995)

Rozaine passait.

Rozaine was passing by.

T'avais dit qu'on passait un week-end cochon.

You said we'd have a naughty weekend.

— Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (2007)

Un vieux Dateline passait hier soir sur les tueurs Ghostface à New York.

An old Dateline episode about the Ghostface killers in New York was on last night.

— Scream 7 (2026)

Dommage, le courant passait si bien.

Too bad, we were getting along so well.

— Rebecca (1940)

Il passait à toute allure.

He was passing at full speed.

Je me demandais comment elle passait son réveillon en Californie.

I was wondering how she was spending New Year’s Eve in California.

— Forrest Gump (1994)

Chaque matin le tsar passait sa collection en revue.

Every morning the tsar reviewed his collection.

— L'Arche russe (2002)

On passait un bon moment et tu t'énerves !

We were having a good time, and you’re getting angry!

— Black (2005)

Si on passait la soirée du Nouvel An ensemble ?

How about spending New Year’s Eve together?

— L'ironie du sort, ou profitez de votre bain ! (1976)

Elle ne passait pas un bon moment.

She wasn't having a good time.

Je resterais indifférente si une star passait par ici.

I’d remain indifferent if a celebrity came by here.

— Mekong Hotel (2012)

Je croyais qu'une minute passait vite.

I thought a minute went by quickly.

— Nos années sauvages (1990)

Et s'il ne me passait rien par la tête ?

What if nothing came to mind?

— Picnic (1955)

C'était un ange de l'enfer qui passait pour juste prendre contact avec moi.

It was a Hell’s Angel who had stopped by just to get in touch with me.

— Le Sacrifice (1986)

La lumière du phare passait à travers la vitre de la chambre.

The light from the lighthouse shone through the window of the room.

— L'Orphelinat (2007)

Il passait à cheval.

He rode by on horseback.

— Une journée particulière (1977)

Virgile adorait les livres et passait ses journées à les lire attentivement.

Virgil loved books and spent his days reading them attentively.

Il passait souvent me voir.

He often came to see me.