pass on
pass on — phrasal verb
- pass onbase form
- passes on3rd person singular
- passing on-ing form
- passed onpast simple
1. to give someone a piece of news, a message, or some knowledge that you yourself
to give someone a piece of news, a message, or some knowledge that you yourself received from another person
Could you pass on my thanks to everyone who helped with the charity run?
pass on + message to someone
Eli promised to pass on the news to his sister when she got home.
The manager passed on the feedback to the whole design team.
Yuna passed on her grandmother's advice to the younger cousins.
Gita passed on the secret family recipe to her daughter last year.
- relay
more formal; often used for official or structured communications
- convey
more formal; emphasises the successful delivery of meaning or feeling
- forward
used mainly for digital messages, emails, and links
- share
broader — the information can be original or received; 'pass on' always implies a third-party source
- withhold
to deliberately not pass on information you have received
文法句型
pass on + information
pass + information + on
pass on + information + to + person
用法筆記
This sense only covers information you received from someone else. If you discovered something yourself, use 'tell' or 'share' instead. The recipient is often introduced with 'to': 'pass the message on to your brother.'
常見錯誤
2. to die — a gentler way of saying that a person has died, used to avoid causing p
to die — a gentler way of saying that a person has died, used to avoid causing pain or discomfort in conversation
Lara's grandfather passed on quietly in his sleep last winter.
euphemistic register: a polite alternative to 'die'
After a long illness, the old dog finally passed on at home.
Niran told the children their grandmother had passed on during the night.
The family gathered around his bed before he passed on that evening.
Imani's great-aunt passed on at the age of ninety-two, surrounded by loved ones.
文法句型
pass on
用法筆記
The most widely used polite alternative to 'die' in everyday speech. Slightly less formal than 'pass away' in British English, but the two are often interchangeable.
常見錯誤
3. to say no to something that someone has offered you, or to choose not to join in
to say no to something that someone has offered you, or to choose not to join in an activity
Eve decided to pass on the job offer and stay at her current company.
pass on + offer/opportunity
Sahil passed on the cake at the party because he was full from lunch.
The whole team passed on the chance to work late on a Friday evening.
Mia politely passed on the invitation to the late-night karaoke session.
Tariq passed on dessert and asked for a cup of tea instead.
文法句型
pass on + something
pass + something + on
用法筆記
Object is typically an offer, opportunity, invitation, or activity — something the speaker was free to accept but chose not to. The particle 'on' can separate from the verb: 'pass the offer on' is less common but acceptable.
常見錯誤
4. to give a physical item or possession to another person after you have received
to give a physical item or possession to another person after you have received or used it yourself
Paloma passed on the concert tickets to a friend who could use them.
pass on + physical item to someone
After finishing the novel, Lara passed it on to her younger brother.
Niran passed on his old laptop to a student who needed one for school.
The librarian passed on the returned books to the sorting room staff.
Eve passed on her wedding dress to her cousin for the ceremony.
文法句型
pass on + object
pass + object + on
pass on + object + to + person
用法筆記
Object is always a concrete item or possession. The sense carries the idea that the giver has already handled or used the item — it is not bought new for the recipient. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense transfers objects, not information.
常見錯誤
5. to spread an illness or infection from your own body to another person, making t
to spread an illness or infection from your own body to another person, making them sick too
Imani stayed home so she would not pass on her flu to her classmates.
pass on + disease to someone
A single mosquito can pass on malaria to many people in one night.
The farm worker passed on the virus to several other employees.
Sahil washed his hands often to avoid passing on the stomach bug.
Some mothers can pass on a rare condition to their babies at birth.
- contain
to stop a disease from spreading to others
文法句型
pass on + disease
pass + disease + on
pass on + illness + to + person
用法筆記
Subject can be a person carrying the illness or the illness itself. The recipient is introduced with 'to': 'pass the cold on to everyone.' Distinguish from sense 1: this sense transfers disease, not information.