"Passer" with "Être"
* Movement/Change of State: When "passer" indicates a change of position, state, or condition, it's conjugated with "être". This is similar to how "become" is used in English.
* Examples:
* Elle est passée de brune à blonde. (She went from brunette to blonde.)
* Le temps est passé trop vite. (Time has passed too quickly.)
* La fête est passée sans encombre. (The party went off without a hitch.)
"Passer" with "Avoir"
* Action/Activity: When "passer" refers to an action or activity, it's conjugated with "avoir". This is similar to how "spend" or "do" are used in English.
* Examples:
* J'ai passé la soirée à lire. (I spent the evening reading.)
* Ils ont passé un bon moment à la plage. (They had a good time at the beach.)
* Elle a passé son examen. (She passed her exam.)
Key Considerations
* "Passer" with "Avoir" is more common. Most uses of "passer" involve an action or activity, so "avoir" is used more frequently.
* "Passer" with "Être" is less common but important to recognize. Pay attention to whether the meaning of "passer" implies a change in state or a simple action.
Example:
* J'ai passé un bon moment. (I had a good time.) - This is an action ("having a good time") so it uses "avoir".
* Le temps a passé. (Time has passed.) - This is a change of state (time moving forward) so it uses "avoir".
* Le film est passé à la télévision. (The movie played on TV.) - This is a change of state (the movie being broadcast) so it uses "être".