I'm confused about the use of "pasado/a"

Question

Why does "pasado manana" mean the day after tomorrow, but "la semana pasada" means "the week before this week" or " last week"? In one instance it refers to a time in the past and in another it refers to a time in the future....

Answer 1

Pasado mañana......Pasado is the adjective for El día después de mañana. (The day after/passed tomorrow).

La semana pasada is the past week (Already occurred).

English correction: The day after/past tomorrow. - waltico, Jun 1, 2010

Answer 2

I noticed something...You have "semana pasada" and "pasado mañana"... The order of the "pasado/a" is different, which may have something to do with it.... Maybe "pasado mañana" can be read as "the passing tomorrow" which would be like the tomorrow that passes after tomorrow- I don't really know what I am trying to say anymore, so hopefully someone who knows what they are talking about will answer.

Nice try, but I don't think the order matters. You can say pasada semena or semana pasada and they both mean last week. - DilKen, Feb 9, 2015

Answer 3

It is a good thing that pasado mañana means the day after tomorrow and not the day before tomorrow. There is already a good word for that - hoy

Answer 4

If I asked my Mom a question like this when I was a kid, she would say:

¡Porque sí!

In other words, it is one of those idioms that just needs to be learned. Don't knock yourself out trying to analyze it!

Good answer from your mom! lol - Delores--Lindsey, Jun 1, 2010

And you know what, it is a darn good answer, there are so many things that just don't translate and we have to kind of 'get over it' and just accept the differences. They're what make it interesting! - margaretbl, Jun 1, 2010

Answer 5

Pasado is being used in the sense of "después". Pasado mañana would be the same as after tomorrow which would be "the day after tomorrow."

This may or may not make sense to you. Sometimes it's difficult to get down in words an idea that you wish to express.

Answer 6

I don't know the answer right now, but, if anything , it should be "pasada" to agree with the word "mañana", which is feminine.

I just checked the dictionary and it does say "pasadO", which I don't understand - MeEncantanCarasSonrisas, Jun 1, 2010