Is "pásele" grammatically incorrect when saying "come in"?

Question

I hear people say "pásele" all the time when inviting people in. Is this incorrect? I don't understand the usage of the indirect object here. Seems like it should just be "pase." And I never hear "pásenles" even when they're saying it to a group of people.

Answer 1

Es un modo de enfatizar la acción sobre el sujeto, invitándolo de manera formal a realizar alguna acción. Es una especie de imperativo amable.

1. ¡ándele! > hurry up! come on! please!
2. ¡córrale! > hurry up!
3. ¡dele! > do it! hit it! drink it! eat it!
4. ¡apúrele! > hurry up!
5. ¡jálele! > move!

This way of talking is used by people coming from the countryside.

Algunas de estas formas son utilizadas en la ciudad para expresar molestia y pedir que la acción se realice sin tardanza.

• ¡Muchas gracias! No sabía de este modo de enfatizar la acción (tenía la misma pregunta acerca de "ándele"). Tiene sentido, porque la mayoría de mis amigos hispanos vienen de lugares rurales. - kimmeister Jun 10, 2010
• ¡Ándele pues! Servida, señorita. - AntMexico Jun 10, 2010
• ¡Buenisima explicación! A veces hay oído los de muy provincia hablar de Usted entre su misma familia. Es gente muy honesta, sencilla, y especial. - JulianChivi Jun 10, 2010
• I always addressed my mom as "usted" - AntMexico Jul 2, 2010
• So do I :) - chicasabrosa Jul 2, 2010

Answer 2

pásen would be the plural form

You can also use pásele (sing.) or pásenle (plural) in the following case:

Pásele la cuchara. (You -Usted) pass him the spoon.

Pásenle la cuchara (You -Ustedes) (you guys) pass him the spoon.

Your way means come in: Páse(le) adelante.

• No puede usar entre ? O quizás es más común usar Pásele en lugar de entre ? - FELIZ77 Jun 10, 2010
• Entre is more comon...pasele is colloquial I think. - 00813f2a Jun 10, 2010
• queria decir una persona no se puede usar ..../ - FELIZ77 Jun 10, 2010
• Muchas gracias por tu respuesta, Robertico - FELIZ77 Jun 10, 2010
• de nada Feliz - 00813f2a Jun 10, 2010

Answer 3

I've wondered if it's actually "pasarse," but changing the 'se' to 'le' because too many esses sound awkward?

Pasarse is something different, it means to go passed a destination: Te pasastes de la parada - You went passed the stop.

Or it can be to be too fresh also: Te pasastes de confianza. (Se toma demasiadas confianzas - She's too familiar, she takes too many liberties

It's not awkward , it just has a different meaning.

• Ok, I'll just accept that "pasar" for "to come in" is used with an indirect object, even though it doesn't make sense in English. Thanks. - kimmeister Jun 10, 2010
• Robert I think it would it be go 'past' instead of passed? :) - Kiwi_Girl Jul 1, 2010
• You are probably right...my spanglish is acting up again. :) - 00813f2a Jul 2, 2010

Answer 4

"Pase" or "pasele" can be equivalent to "pass through the door" if you need to find a comparison. Also think of "pass friend", a somewhat antique military response to someone who wants to come through a gate or a door or a picket line.

Answer 5

Hi Kim. Welcome to the forum.

Yes, it's a correct and polite way of saying "Come on in."

I'm not sure why they use the indirect object instead of the direct object.

• I've wondered if it's actually "pasarse," but changing the 'se' to 'le' because too many esses sound awkward? - kimmeister Jun 10, 2010

Answer 6

Kim, Perhaps it's one of those things where it just gets said and it there's no obvious explanation for how it's put together - a bit like how we sometimes say in English

'move it'

• perhaps say when we're holding a door open for a child and they are taking their time.

'It' doesn't really make sense when we mean we want them to move themselves but still we use it - (although I guess it's pretty 'familiar' language, we wouldn't really use it in more formal situations.)