How does se passer differ from passer with être?

Jim

Kwiziq community member

29 January 2018

29/01/18

Se passer has the meaning of to take place or to happen and takes être as does all pronominal verbs.

Passer can be used with a direct object (transitive) and takes avoir or with an indirect object (intransitive) and has to take être.

Hope this helps.

Alan

Chris

Kwiziq community member

29 January 2018

29/01/18

Just to build upon Jim's explanation:

Je suis passé chez Élise.
I passed by Élise's place.
-> intransitive, hence être

J'y ai passé beaucoup de temps.
I spent a lot of time there.
-> transitive, hence avoir

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Heyes

Kwiziq community member

30 January 2018

30/01/18

Yes, it does. Thank you.

Joanne

Kwiziq community member

17 March 2019

17/03/19

Hello,

If I want to say "I passed by Bob's house today," I would say, "Je suis passe chez Bob." Is that correct? If it is, I don't understand how "chez Bob" is an indirect object. Just a bit confused here. Thanks for any help you can provide.