pasajero
/pasaˈxeɾo/
The Spanish word for car rider is pasajero.
A pasajero is a person traveling in a vehicle who is not the one driving.
Which one should you use?
While pasajero refers to the person being carried, conductor refers to the person operating the vehicle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun changes gender to match the sex of the person: use pasajero for a male and pasajera for a female. To form the plural, add -s to the masculine form to get pasajeros.
How do you pronounce it?
/pasaˈxeɾo/
Did you know?
- While pasajero means 'passenger', the adjective pasajero also means 'temporary' or 'fleeting' in Spanish, such as describing a passing cloud or a short-lived feeling.
- While 'pasajero' is the standard term, in some Latin American countries, you might hear people use 'copiloto' to refer specifically to the person sitting in the front seat.
- The word pasajero shares a common ancestor with the English word 'pass', as both stem from the Latin 'passus', meaning 'to step' or 'to pass'.
Examples in context
- Los ocupantes de coche deben asegurarse de llevar el cinturón de seguridad bien abrochado.Car riders should make sure to wear their seat belts properly fastened.
- El pasajero está en el coche.The passenger is in the car.
- El pasajero está sentado en el asiento trasero.The passenger is sitting in the back seat.
- ¿Hay algún pasajero más en el coche?Is there any other passenger in the car?
- Un pasajero me pidió que bajara en la esquina.A passenger asked me to pull over at the corner.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are waiting for a taxi.
- JavierSofía, ¿eres tú la única pasajera?Sofía, are you the only passenger?
- SofíaNo, yo iré con mi hermano como pasajero.No, I will go with my brother as a passenger.
- JavierEntiendo, el taxi será para los dos.I understand, the taxi will be for the two of you.
- SofíaSí, ya viene el coche.Yes, the car is coming now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pasajero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasajero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
