Browse all

pass down

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To give something to the people who come after you, like your children or grandchildren.

Literal meaning: To move something downward from one level to another.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To give or leave something to a younger generation, especially as a tradition or inheritance.

"This watch was passed down from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, then to my father."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 neutral

To transmit knowledge, customs, or stories from one generation to the next.

"Oral traditions are stories passed down through generations before being written down."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Used for both tangible items (jewellery, property) and intangible things (stories, recipes, customs, genetic traits). The motion 'down' reflects the hierarchical image of older generations above younger ones. Common in family and cultural contexts.

Commonly used with

recipe tradition story knowledge heirloom wisdom

Forms

Base
pass down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
passes down
he/she/it
Past simple
passed down
yesterday
Past participle
passed down
have + pp
-ing form
passing down
continuous

Understand "pass down" better

Try:

Real video examples

Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.

Want to master this phrasal verb?

Practice "pass down" on Looplines