Pase lo que pase, mi abuela quiere preparar flan cuando viene toda la familia.

the family

Breakdown of Pase lo que pase, mi abuela quiere preparar flan cuando viene toda la familia.

• querer: to want
• mi: my
• cuando: when

Questions & Answers about Pase lo que pase, mi abuela quiere preparar flan cuando viene toda la familia.

Why is it pase and not pasa in Pase lo que pase?

Because this expression uses the present subjunctive, not the normal present indicative.

• pasa = it happens
• pase = whatever may happen / no matter what happens

In Spanish, the subjunctive is often used after words like lo que when the meaning is indefinite, open-ended, or concessive. Here, Pase lo que pase means no matter what happens, so Spanish uses the subjunctive.

This is a very common fixed pattern:

• Haga lo que haga = no matter what he/she does
• Diga lo que diga = no matter what he/she says
• Vaya donde vaya = wherever he/she goes

What does Pase lo que pase mean literally?

Very literally, it is something like:

May happen what may happen

That sounds unnatural in English, so the real meaning is:

• No matter what happens
• Whatever happens

The structure is idiomatic in Spanish, so it is best learned as a chunk: Pase lo que pase.

Why is pase repeated in Pase lo que pase?