Translation guide
How to express 'pass by' in Japanese, covering physical movement past a point, time passing, and idiomatic uses like missing an opportunity.
店の前を通り過ぎた。
I passed by the store.
時間が早く過ぎる。
Time passes quickly.
To move past a location, object, or person without stopping.
The most direct and common way to say 'pass by' a place or object. It implies moving past without stopping.
毎日、駅の前を通り過ぎます。
I pass by the station every day.
彼は私の横を通り過ぎた。
He passed by me.
To happen to pass by, often implying coincidence or being in the area. Used when you 'happen to pass by' a place.
通りかかったときに、ちょうど花火が上がった。
When I happened to pass by, fireworks went off.
Formal or technical term for passing through or by a point, often used for vehicles, trains, or in official contexts.
電車はその駅を通過します。
The train passes by that station (without stopping).
To pass by without stopping or paying attention, often implying ignoring or skipping something.
せっかく来たのに、素通りするのはもったいない。
It's a waste to just pass by without stopping since we came all this way.
To describe the passage of time.
The standard verb for time passing. Can be used with time nouns like 時間 (time), 年月 (years), etc.
時間があっという間に過ぎた。
Time passed by in a flash.
楽しい時間はすぐに過ぎる。
Fun times pass by quickly.
Used for a period of time passing, often with a focus on the elapsed duration. Common in phrases like 月日が経つ (months and days pass).
あれから三年が経った。
Three years have passed by since then.
Formal term for the passage of time, often used in official or medical contexts.
手術から二時間が経過した。
Two hours have passed since the surgery.
To fail to take advantage of a chance, or to let something go by.
Literally 'miss an opportunity'. The most natural way to say you let a chance pass by.
せっかくの機会を逃してしまった。
I let a great opportunity pass by.
Same as above but using the loanword チャンス (chance). Slightly more casual.
またチャンスを逃した。
I let another chance pass by.
To overlook, miss seeing, or let something slip by. Can be used for opportunities or mistakes.
To intentionally or unintentionally not engage with someone or something.
To pretend not to know or notice, to pass by someone while ignoring them.
彼は私を見ても知らん顔で通り過ぎた。
He passed by me pretending not to notice.
To ignore someone. Stronger and more direct than 知らん顔をする.
彼は挨拶を無視して通り過ぎた。
He passed by ignoring my greeting.
通り過ぎる is a general 'pass by', while 通りかかる implies happening to pass by at a certain moment, often by chance. Use 通りかかる when you want to emphasize the coincidence or timing.
通りかかったときに事故を目撃した。
I witnessed an accident when I happened to pass by.
The loanword パスする means 'pass' in the sense of handing something over, skipping a turn, or passing a test. It does not mean 'pass by' a location. Avoid saying 駅をパスする for 'pass by the station'.
駅を通り過ぎる (○) / 駅をパスする (✕)
pass by the station
彼のミスを見逃した。
I let his mistake pass by (overlooked it).