As a new week begins, we’ve got another French word to teach you about. For this blog, we’ve chosen the verb repasser.
Listen to the pronunciation of the verb in its infinitive form by using the audio clip below:
Repasser makes for an interesting word of the week for several reasons, mainly to do with its meanings. When used intransitively, you can translate it as ‘to come back’, ‘to go past again’ or ‘to go back’, but it has very different meanings when used transitively. It can mean ‘to resit’ [an exam], ‘to iron’, and more. With so many options on the table, it’s important to see the word in different contexts before you can fully understand how to use it.
There’s not much to say on the grammar, as repasser is a regular -er verb. But you will notice the different use of auxiliary verbs in intransitive versus transitive uses. When used intransitively, repasser takes être in compound tenses, such as in the pluperfect and perfect. However, transitive use of repasser will take avoir.
Just as a reminder, for intransitive use of repasser, the subject of the sentence is doing the action of ‘coming back’ or ‘going back’. Let’s see how this might work in different contexts:
Nous allons repasser demain matin. We are going to come back again tomorrow.
On est repassé par le même chemin. We went back on the same path.
Je repasserai devant chez lui, mais je ne sais pas s’il sera là. I will go past his house again, but I don’t know if he’ll be there.
Est-ce que vous êtes déjà repassés ? Did you all go back already?
Moving on to its transitive use, where the meaning changes quite drastically, the subject needs a direct object to make sense. Remember that when used transitively, repasser will take avoir in compound tenses:
Mon mari a repassé son pantalon avant de quitter la maison. My husband ironed his trousers before leaving the house.
Tu veux que je repasse ta chemise ? You want me to iron your shirt?
Je n’ai pas beaucoup étudié… je repasserai mon examen de biologie la semaine prochaine. I didn’t study much… I’ll resit my biology exam next week.
Repasse-moi le sel s’il te plaît. Pass me the salt again, please.
Ce film était si populaire que le cinéma va le repasser mardi. This film was so popular that the cinema is going to show it again / put it on again on Tuesday.
Another week, another word – thanks for reading our blog and we hope that you’ll come back again next time. Don’t forget to check out our Easy Learning French Grammar pages to iron out any difficulties with the grammar!
Written by Holly Tarbet, freelance copywriter and editor.
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.
