¿pasa algo?
/ˈpasa ˈalɡo/word by word
In Spanish, the phrase for "is something wrong?" is ¿pasa algo?
The phrase is used to ask if there is a problem or if something unusual is occurring. You can use ¿Algo anda mal? to specifically ask if something is going wrong or if something feels off. If you want to ask someone specifically what is wrong with them, you can use ¿Qué te pasa?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally asks "does something happen?"
Which one should you use?
While ¿pasa algo? is a yes/no question asking if anything is wrong, ¿qué pasa? asks specifically what is happening or what is wrong.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word pasa is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb pasar, which means to happen or to pass. You can make the question more explicit about a negative situation by adding the adjective malo to say ¿pasa algo malo?, which means "is something bad happening?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpasa ˈalɡo/
Did you know?
- The word pasa can also refer to a 'raisin', as it comes from the Latin term for a 'spread grape'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿qué te pasa? with a specific tone can shift from a concerned 'what's wrong?' to a confrontational 'what is your problem?'
- While an English speaker might say 'is something wrong?' to a person, using the phrase ¿pasa algo? in a crowded room can sound like you are asking if a physical event or accident is occurring nearby rather than asking about a person's feelings.
Examples in context
- Perdone la pregunta, ¿pasa algo? He notado que parece preocupado.Forgive me for asking, is something wrong? I've noticed you seem worried.
- Oye, ¿pasa algo? Te noto un poco distante últimamente.Hey, is something wrong? I notice you've been a bit distant lately.
- Te veo muy triste, ¿pasa algo?I see you are very sad, is something wrong?
Example conversation
Javier sees María looking worried in the living room.
- JavierMaría, te veo distraída, ¿pasa algo?María, you look distracted, is something wrong?
- MaríaNo es nada, solo estoy cansada.It's nothing, I'm just tired.
- Javier¿Segura que no pasa nada?Are you sure nothing is wrong?
- MaríaSí, de verdad no pasa nada.Yes, really, nothing is wrong.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pasa, algo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries algo, pasa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
