Introduction
The verb construction passar a is a common and versatile tool in Brazilian Portuguese for describing changes that happen over time. This article explains when and how to use passar a, with clear rules, example sentences, and notes on meaning differences. Ideal for English-speaking learners at beginner to intermediate levels.
- What does passar a mean?
- When to use passar a vs other verbs
- Conjugation patterns and tenses
- Examples with different meanings
- Grammar details: infinitive, tense, and pronouns
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Stylistic and cultural usage notes
- Practical tips to incorporate passar a into your Portuguese
- Additional example sentences
- Conclusion
What does passar a mean?
Passar a is used to express the idea of beginning to do something, changing to a new state, or adopting a new habit. It indicates a transition from one situation to another. In English, it often corresponds to start to, begin to, become, or come to.
Basic structure
The typical structure is passar a + infinitive when describing beginning an action, or passar a + noun when describing a change of state or role. The verb passar itself is conjugated according to the subject and tense, while the word a stays fixed:
subject + passar (conjugated) + a + infinitive
João passou a estudar mais.
When to use passar a vs other verbs
Portuguese has several verbs for change and beginning, such as começar, começar a, virar, tornar-se, ficar. Understanding the nuance helps you choose passar a correctly.
Passar a vs começar / começar a
Both passar a and começar a can mean begin to. Começar a is more neutral and common in many contexts. Passar a often emphasizes a noticeable transition, sometimes implying a permanent or marked change in routine or state.
Example:
Ela começou a trabalhar em julho. (She started working in July.)
Ela passou a trabalhar em tempo integral depois da promoção. (She moved to working full-time after the promotion.)
Passar a vs virar / tornar-se / ficar
Virar and tornar-se describe becoming something, often focusing on identity or role. Ficar often indicates a result or state. Passar a highlights the process or point when the change begins, especially for actions or habits.
Example:
Ele virou presidente. (He became president.)
Ele passou a cuidar da empresa depois que o pai aposentou-se. (He took over caring for the company after his father retired.)
Conjugation patterns and tenses
You conjugate passar according to time and subject, and keep a plus the infinitive or noun. Below are common tenses used with passar a.
Present
Use the present to indicate a current or near-immediate change.
Eu passo a estudar mais agora. (I am starting to study more now.)
Preterite / Past
Use the preterite to indicate a completed transition that happened at a specific moment.
Ela passou a fazer exercícios no ano passado. (She started exercising last year.)
Imperfect
The imperfect can show an ongoing transition or habitual changes in the past.
Quando morávamos na cidade, passávamos a andar a pé sempre. (When we lived in the city, we began walking everywhere.)
Future
Use the future to indicate a planned or expected change.
Eles passarão a usar outro sistema em janeiro. (They will begin using another system in January.)
Examples with different meanings
Below are categorized examples to illustrate the different senses of passar a.
Starting a new action or habit
Ela passou a estudar à noite para se preparar para o concurso. (She began studying at night to prepare for the public exam.)
Depois da viagem, nós passamos a economizar mais. (After the trip, we started saving more.)
Change of routine or lifestyle
Com a chegada do bebê, eles passaram a dormir menos. (With the baby’s arrival, they began sleeping less.)
Depois da promoção, ele passou a viajar frequentemente. (After the promotion, he started traveling frequently.)
Change of opinion or attitude
Com o tempo, ela passou a gostar de samba. (Over time, she came to like samba.)
Ele passou a acreditar que era possível. (He came to believe it was possible.)
Becoming something new
Após o curso, ela passou a ser consultora. (After the course, she became a consultant.)
O projeto passou a ser responsabilidade do departamento técnico. (The project became the responsibility of the technical department.)
Negative or unexpected change
Durante a crise, a empresa passou a demitir funcionários. (During the crisis, the company began to lay off employees.)
Com o corte do benefício, muitas famílias passaram a enfrentar dificuldades. (With the benefit cut, many families began to face hardships.)
Grammar details: infinitive, tense, and pronouns
When using passar a, the following grammatical points are helpful.
Infinitive verbs after passar a
Most commonly, passar a is followed by an infinitive verb that describes the new action. The infinitive is the verb form that ends in -ar, -er, or -ir.
Examples:
passar a estudar
passar a trabalhar
passar a aceitar
Clitic pronouns (me, te, se, nos, etc.)
When a reflexive or object pronoun is needed for the verb in the infinitive, place it after the infinitive or attach it according to standard Portuguese clitic rules. In Brazilian Portuguese, proclisis (placing pronouns before the verb) is common in many structures, but with infinitives after passar a, you typically attach the pronoun to the infinitive if the informal style prefers it.
Examples:
Ela passou a se cuidar mais. or Ela passou a cuidar-se mais. (She started taking better care of herself.)
Eles passaram a nos ajudar. (They began to help us.)
Negation
To negate, put não before passar or before the infinitive if emphasizing the action not being started. Both are acceptable depending on emphasis.
Ele não passou a beber menos. (He did not start drinking less.)
Ele passou a não aceitar propostas ruins. (He began to not accept bad proposals.)
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Some errors come from literal translation from English or confusion with similar Portuguese verbs. Here are pitfalls to watch for.
Translating start to vs begin to
Avoid literal word order from English like passar a + conjugated verb. Always follow with an infinitive when indicating start of an action.
Wrong: Ele passou a que ele trabalha mais.
Right: Ele passou a trabalhar mais.
Confusing with ficar and virar
Use ficar or virar when you mean a change of state without focusing on the starting action point. Use passar a when you want to emphasize the moment or process of beginning a new action or habit.
Wrong context for passar a: Ela passou a bonita. (Awkward.)
Better: Ela ficou bonita. or Ela se tornou mais bonita.
Omitting a
Some learners drop the preposition a because English does not use it in similar constructions. Do not omit it when followed by an infinitive.
Wrong: Ele passou estudar.
Right: Ele passou a estudar.
Stylistic and cultural usage notes
In Brazilian Portuguese the use of passar a can sound slightly more formal or descriptive than simply using começar a. News reports, formal writing, and narratives often use passar a to mark a clear transition.
In everyday speech, Brazilians often prefer simpler verbs like começar or conversational expressions such as começar a with a contracted or reduced prosody. However, using passar a correctly makes your speech or writing sound more precise and natural in storytelling or descriptions of change.
Regional tone
The meaning of passar a is consistent across Brazil, but frequency can vary. In formal written Portuguese and journalistic contexts, passar a is quite common. In casual speech, people may say comecei a, começamos a, or use simpler constructions.
Practical tips to incorporate passar a into your Portuguese
To become comfortable with passar a, try these approaches while practicing listening and speaking.
1. Notice transitions in stories and news: listen for phrases that signal change and identity shifts. Replace some começar a sentences in your practice with passar a to feel the nuance.
2. Make short sentences focusing on life changes: practice describing habits, jobs, or opinions that began at a point in time, using past and present tenses.
3. Read Brazilian articles and highlight sentences with passar a. Observe how journalists and authors use it to mark important transitions.
Additional example sentences
Eu passei a cozinhar durante a pandemia. (I started cooking during the pandemic.)
Nós passamos a confiar mais uns nos outros depois do projeto. (We began to trust each other more after the project.)
O time passou a treinar diariamente para melhorar o desempenho. (The team began training daily to improve performance.)
Com a nova lei, as empresas passaram a exigir certificação. (With the new law, companies began requiring certification.)
Ela passou a se interessar por fotografia analógica. (She began to take an interest in analog photography.)
Conclusion
Passar a is a useful structure to describe the moment or process of beginning a new action, habit, or state in Brazilian Portuguese. Remember to follow with an infinitive or noun, conjugate passar correctly, and use the construction when you want to emphasize a clear shift. With practice, you will be able to use passar a naturally in both spoken and written Portuguese.
