No te pases con el azúcar.

with

Breakdown of No te pases con el azúcar.

• te: you
• no: not
• el azúcar: the sugar

Questions & Answers about No te pases con el azúcar.

What exactly does pasarse mean in this sentence?

Here pasarse means “to overdo it / to go too far / to go overboard”.

• No te pases con el azúcar ≈ “Don’t overdo it with the sugar / Don’t go overboard with the sugar.”
• It does not mean “to pass” (like passing an exam or passing something to someone). That would be pasar without the reflexive pronoun and with a different meaning.

What’s the difference between pasar and pasarse?

• pasar (non‑reflexive) has meanings like:

  • to pass (an object): Pásame el azúcar. – “Pass me the sugar.”
  • to happen: ¿Qué pasa? – “What’s happening?”
  • to pass (an exam): He pasado el examen. – “I’ve passed the exam.”

• pasarse (reflexive) often means:

  • to go too far / to overdo something / to be excessive:
    • Te has pasado con la sal. – “You overdid it with the salt.”
    • No te pases. – “Don’t go too far / Don’t be out of line.”

So in No te pases con el azúcar, the reflexive form pasarse is essential to get the “overdo it” meaning.

Why is it “pases” and not “pasas” – what tense is “No te pases”?