How to Say “Walk By” in French

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passer devant
The English phrase "walk by" is translated into French as passer devant.
Use passer devant to express the action of moving or walking past a specific object, person or location.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the verb passer (to pass or to go) and the preposition devant (in front of).

How does it change in a sentence?

In this context, the verb passer is used intransitively to describe the motion of passing a specific point.

Did you know?

  • The verb passer is a direct relative of the English word 'pace'. Both originate from the Latin word passus, meaning a 'step'.
  • If you use passer without a preposition like devant, the meaning can shift entirely from 'to pass by' to 'to spend' when talking about time or money.

Examples in context

  • J'aimerais faire une promenade en bord de mer ce week-end.
    I would like to take a walk by the seaside this weekend.
  • Je suis passé devant la boulangerie.
    I walked by the bakery.
  • Le chat va passer devant la maison.
    The cat is going to walk by the house.
  • Elle ne veut pas passer devant tout le monde.
    She does not want to walk by everyone.
  • Je vais passer devant la boulangerie ce matin.
    I am going to walk by the bakery this morning.

Example conversation

Nathan and Chloé are walking in a park.

  1. Nathan

    Regarde, un chien va passer devant nous.
    Look, a dog is going to walk by us.
  2. Chloé

    Oh, il est très mignon !
    Oh, he is very cute!
  3. Nathan

    Est-ce qu'il va passer devant le banc ?
    Is he going to walk by the bench?
  4. Chloé

    Oui, il semble vouloir s'y arrêter.
    Yes, he seems to want to stop there.

Sources

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Henry Dale
Henry DaleHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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