passer
/pa.se/
The English phrase 'come by' is translated into French as passer.
In a casual, conversational context, passer is commonly used to mean 'to come by' or 'to stop by' a place. To say 'come by my place' or 'stop by my house', you should use the phrase passer chez moi. If you want to say 'come by your place' informally, you can use passer chez toi and the expression passer te voir is an informal way to say 'come by to see you'.
Meaning: to get (trans.) (verb)
Which one should you use?
While passer can mean 'to pass' (as in moving past something), when used in the context of a visit, it specifically implies a brief and often unplanned stop.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used to mean 'to come by' or 'to drop by', passer is an intransitive verb and does not require a direct object.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of passer is /pa.se/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking regions, saying passer voir quelqu'un is the standard way to suggest a casual visit, whereas using 'visiter' sounds like you are inspecting a building or a monument.
- While English uses 'pass' for both a physical location and an exam, the French passer in the context of an exam often refers to the act of taking the test rather than succeeding.
- The word passer is used in the common expression passer le mot, which means 'to spread the word' or 'pass on a message'.
Examples in context
- Je passerai plus tard.I'll come by later.This sentence is useful for expressing a future intention to come by later using passer.Tatoeba #11571832 by Aiji, translation #2548796 by CK
- Vous les verrez passer.You will see them come by.This sentence shows the verb passer being used to describe people being seen coming by.Tatoeba #1084227 by nimfeo, translation #1152221 by belgavox
- Je l’ai vue passer par là.I saw her come by here.This sentence uses passer to describe seeing someone come by a specific location.Tatoeba #8732215 by Julien_PDC, translation #10658737 by Lebensfreude
- Je passerai chez toi demain.I will come by your place tomorrow.
- Je me rendrai à ton bureau après la réunion.I will come by your office after the meeting.
- Je vais passer chez toi demain.I'll come by your place tomorrow.
- Demain, je vais passer te voir dans l'après-midi.Tomorrow, I'll come by to see you in the afternoon.
- Je vais passer faire un saut chez toi ce soir.I'll come by your place for a quick visit tonight.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are chatting on the phone about a visit.
- EmmaTu veux passer manger avec moi ce soir ?Do you want to come by for dinner with me tonight?
- GabrielC'est une bonne idée, je vais passer.That's a good idea, I will come by.
- EmmaSuper, Gabriel, je prépare quelque chose de bon.Great, Gabriel, I'm preparing something good.
- GabrielMerci Emma, à ce soir !Thanks Emma, see you tonight!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry passer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
