Pass on meaning
Pass on means to give a message or information that someone gave you to another person. It can also mean to give something to someone else, like old clothes, skills or an illness.
pass something on
pass on · passed · passing
Could you pass on a message to Sara?
Pass on meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Give a message or information that someone gave you to another person
pass something on
- Could you pass on a message to Sara?
- I’ll pass your email on to my manager.
- Thanks for the tip. I’ll pass it on.
-
2
Give something to someone else, like old clothes, skills or an illness
pass something on
- I passed my old bike on to my nephew.
- Grandpa passed on his love of fishing to us all.
- Stay home so you don’t pass on your cold.
-
3
Die (a polite way to say it)
pass on
- Her father passed on last spring.
- I’m sorry to hear that your aunt has passed on.
- He passed on peacefully in his sleep.
-
4
Say no to an offer (informal)
pass on something
- Thanks, but I’ll pass on dessert tonight.
- They passed on the offer to buy the flat.
- Are you really going to pass on free concert tickets?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use pass on in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is pass on separable?
When pass on means give to someone else, it is separable: pass on the news, pass the news on. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: pass it on. Use to for the person: pass it on to Max.
When pass on means refuse, the object always comes after: I’ll pass on the cake. You cannot say I’ll pass the cake on in this meaning, because that means give it to someone.
Verb tenses for pass on
| Present | I pass on · she passes on |
|---|---|
| Past | passed on |
| Present perfect | have passed on |
| -ing form | passing on |
Common mistakes with pass on
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I’ll pass on it to the team.
Right: I’ll pass it on to the team.
A pronoun goes between pass and on.
Wrong: Please pass on my thanks for your mum.
Right: Please pass on my thanks to your mum.
Use to for the person who gets the message.
Wrong: My grandmother passed on, so I had to pass out the news.
Right: My grandmother passed on, so I had to pass on the news.
Pass out means faint or hand out. For news, use pass on.
Synonyms and opposites of pass on
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- pass alongmainly US; give information to another person
- pass awaydie; more common than pass on in this meaning
- hand outgive one thing to each person in a group
Opposite
- keep to yourselfnot tell anyone else something you know
- jump ataccept an offer quickly and happily
Pass on quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1Tom isn’t here. I’ll ___ your message to him.
Pass on means give a message to another person.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle. Use to, not for, for the person.
-
3A waiter asks, “Coffee?” You say, “I’ll pass on coffee, thanks.” What do you mean?
Pass on an offer means say no to it politely.
More phrasal verbs with pass
2 phrasal verbs start with pass. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Pass on FAQ
Questions people ask about pass on.
Pass on vs pass away: what is the difference?
Both can mean die, and both are polite. Pass away is more common for this. Pass on also means give a message: Please pass on my love.
What does I’ll pass mean?
It is an informal way to say no to an offer. Want to come? I’ll pass, thanks. With an object, say I’ll pass on that.
What does pass on the cost mean?
In business it means make customers pay a cost. When oil goes up, airlines pass on the cost to passengers.
Use pass on in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.