What Does Pass On Mean?
Pass on has three main everyday meanings. It can mean to share information with someone, to decline an offer, or, in a gentle way, to die. It can also mean to hand on something you own, a trait or a cost.
Please pass this message on to Sam.
I will pass on dessert, thanks.
His grandfather passed on last year.
The three meanings are very different, so the sentence tells you which one it is.
🗣️ Natural Examples
The teacher asked us to pass on the homework sheet.
Can you pass the news on to the team?
I'll pass on the party, I'm tired.
The family has passed on many stories to their children.
Mia passed her old jumper on to her little cousin.
The shop passed the price rise on to its customers.
✂️ Can You Separate It?
Yes, when it has an object and means to hand something on. Pass on is separable in that sense.
With a noun, both places are fine.
✅ Pass the message on.
✅ Pass on the message.
With it, him, her, them, the small word must go in the middle.
✅ Pass it on.
❌ Pass on it.
With the meaning decline, the thing you turn down comes after on, so nothing is separated: I'll pass on the party., I'll pass on it. With the meaning die, there is no object: He passed on.
🛠️ How to Use It
- Pass on information to someone else.
- Pass something on to hand it down: She passed her old jumper on. The shop passed the cost on to customers.
- Pass on an offer politely to say no.
- Pass on to say that someone has died, in a gentle way. Many people prefer pass away for this.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Pass on or pass by? To pass on is to hand something on or decline. To pass by is to go near something.
❌ I'll pass by the cake, thanks.
✅ I'll pass on the cake, thanks.
Pronoun in the middle.
❌ Pass on it to Sam.
✅ Pass it on to Sam.
💬 In a Conversation
Ava: Would you like a slice of cake?
Leo: I'll pass on the cake, thanks. I'm full.
Ava: You can pass it on to Sam, then.
Leo: Good idea. He's always hungry.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Think of a relay race. You pass the baton on to the next runner. The message, the homework and the news all work the same way.
👯 Similar Expressions
- hand on: pass a thing to the next person.
- turn down: refuse an offer. See Turn Down.
- pass away: a gentle way to say someone died.