se pasó

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Translating...
to go too far, to overdo it, to outdo oneself
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Portuguese
/se paˈso/
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Going beyond the usual limit, most often by overdoing something or crossing a line, but sometimes by impressing people with extra effort.

Examples

  • El chef se pasó con la cena, todo estaba increíble.
    The chef outdid himself with dinner, everything was incredible.
  • Esta vez se pasó, no tenía derecho a hablarte así.
    This time he went too far, he had no right to speak to you like that.
  • Ana se pasó de la raya al criticar a todos en la reunión.
    Ana crossed the line by criticizing everyone in the meeting.
  • Juan se pasó con el regalo y le compró un coche nuevo.
    Juan went overboard with the gift and bought her a new car.
  • Creo que Luis se pasó con la sal en la sopa.
    I think Luis overdid it with the salt in the soup.

Similar words

se pasó de la raya
se sobró
se lució
exageró
se excedió
se fue al extremo

Meanings

Usage

Tone decides whether se pasó is criticism or praise, so the surrounding words usually show whether the excess was unwelcome or impressive.

Common mistakes

Se paso loses the required accent, while se pasó should not replace plain pasó for passing an exam, passing an object, or simply happening.

Etymology

From pasarse, the pronominal form of pasar, whose idea of passing or going beyond extends naturally to exceeding a limit.

FAQ

What does se pasó mean?

Se pasó means that someone went beyond a normal limit, often by going too far or overdoing something.

Can se pasó be positive?

Yes. With admiring tone, se pasó can mean someone outdid themselves or did something exceptionally well.

Is se pasó the same as pasó?

No. Pasó can mean happened, passed, or went by, while se pasó adds the idea of going beyond a limit.

What is the difference between se pasó and se pasó de la raya?

Se pasó de la raya makes the idea of crossing a line explicit, while se pasó can leave that limit understood from context.

Is se pasó informal?

Se pasó is common in everyday informal speech, especially in comments about behavior, food, gifts, jokes, or performance.

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