Questions & Answers about Экзамен проходит в большом зале.
What does проходит literally mean here, and why is it used with экзамен?
The verb проходить in this sentence means “to take place / to be held / to happen”:
- Экзамен проходит в большом зале.
→ The exam takes place / is being held in the big hall.
Literally, проходить can mean:
- to pass (by) (for people, time, etc.)
- to go through
- to run / be held (for events)
With events like экзамен, концерт, встреча, совещание, урок, проходить is a very common way to say they take place in a certain location or in a certain way:
- Урок проходит онлайн. – The lesson takes place online.
- Собрание проходит по понедельникам. – The meeting takes place on Mondays.
So here it is not “the exam passes,” but “the exam is taking place / is held.”
Why don’t we say есть or leave out the verb, like Экзамен в большом зале?