pasarlo bien
verbCEFR B1
What does “pasarlo bien” mean in English?
to have a good time, to enjoy oneself
to have a good time, to enjoy oneself (clitic lo obligatory; pasarlo genial / fenomenal = have a fantastic time)
Example sentences
¡Espero que lo paséis muy bien en la boda! Contadme todo cuando volváis de la luna de miel.
I hope you have a great time at the wedding! Tell me everything when you get back from the honeymoon.
La verdad es que lo pasé fatal en aquella fiesta; no conocía a nadie y la música era demasiado alta para hablar.
Honestly, I had a terrible time at that party; I didn't know anyone and the music was too loud to talk.
¿Lo estás pasando bien en el intercambio o echas de menos tu ciudad?
Are you having a good time on the exchange, or do you miss your city?
How to use it
Pasarlo bien means 'to have a good time'. The clitic lo is obligatory and invariable — it refers to the understood 'time' or 'experience'. The structure is: subject + pasarlo bien / pasarla bien (regional variant). Common in social contexts: espero que lo paséis bien, ¿lo pasaste bien?, lo pasamos genial. The adverbial can be upgraded: pasarlo muy bien, pasarlo genial, pasarlo fenomenal. Pasarlo bien is informal and common in speech. In formal writing, disfrutar de or tener una experiencia agradable would be preferred.
Common mistake
The clitic lo is non-negotiable: '*pasar bien' without lo is either ungrammatical or means 'to pass well' in the physical sense. Also: pasarlo bien is informal — in formal contexts use disfrutar. The adverbial range is wide: bien, muy bien, genial, fenomenal, estupendamente, fatal (ironically using 'fatal' for 'terrible').