pass down

give knowledge, traditions, or things to the next generation

B2

What does "pass sth down" mean?

To pass something down means to give knowledge, skills, objects, or traditions to people in a younger generation — typically within a family or community. The 'down' suggests movement through time, from older to younger: grandparents pass things down to parents, who then pass them down to their children. It is used for both tangible things, like jewellery or land, and intangible things, like stories, recipes, customs, and values. The passive form — 'has been passed down through generations' — is extremely common, often more so than the active, because the focus is usually on what was inherited rather than who gave it. This phrasal verb is neutral in tone and appears naturally in everyday conversation, journalism, documentaries, and more formal writing about culture or history.

Examples

How to use it

pass down + object

The most common active pattern, used when naming what is being transferred to a younger generation.

Her grandfather passed down his woodworking skills to everyone in the family.

pass + object + down

With short noun objects, the object can move between the verb and the particle — both positions are equally natural.

My aunt passed the recipe down to my mother, who taught it to me.

pass + pronoun + down

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle — placing it after 'down' is not possible.

These stories are so important — we have to pass them down to our children.

be passed down (through + group / from + person + to + person)

The passive is very frequently used, especially with phrases like 'through generations' or 'from parent to child', to emphasise what was inherited rather than who passed it on.

This weaving technique has been passed down through the family for over a century.

pass down + object + to + recipient

Use 'to' to specify who receives what is being transferred.

The elders passed down their knowledge of the land to the younger members of the community.

Common Collocations

family traditionsrecipeswisdomheirloomsstoriesskills

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'pass down' with 'pass on'

'Pass down' specifically refers to transferring something to a younger generation. 'Pass on' is much broader and can mean transmit, die, or decline an offer — so the two are not always interchangeable.

✗ She passed down the message to her colleague in the next office.
✓ She passed on the message to her colleague in the next office.
Pronoun placed after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must come between 'pass' and 'down', never after 'down'.

✗ These traditions are precious — we must pass down them to our children.
✓ These traditions are precious — we must pass them down to our children.
Using 'pass down' for non-generational transfer

'Pass down' implies movement from older to younger generations. It should not be used for transfers between peers, for digital sharing, or for spreading something like a disease or a message.

✗ Could you pass down this document to your manager for review?
✓ Could you pass on this document to your manager for review?

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. The passive form ('has been passed down through generations') is extremely common — perhaps more common than the active — so learners should practise both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the passive form of 'pass down' very common? It seems a bit unusual.

Actually, the passive is one of the most natural ways to use this phrasal verb. Patterns like 'has been passed down through generations' or 'was passed down through the family' are extremely frequent in English, because speakers often want to focus on what was inherited rather than who gave it. It's well worth practising these passive structures alongside the active ones.

Can 'pass down' be used without an object, like 'it's a tradition that gets passed down'?

Yes, in that kind of sentence 'passed down' works without a directly stated object because the object ('a tradition') is already mentioned. However, 'pass down' is most commonly used as a transitive verb where something specific is named as the thing being transferred. Completely intransitive uses — with no reference to an object at all — are rare.

What kinds of things can you 'pass down'? Can it be used for anything?

The most natural objects are things connected to family or cultural heritage — recipes, stories, heirlooms, wisdom, skills, customs, land, values, and traditions. It does not work well for impersonal or digital transfers, so you wouldn't say a file or email was passed down. If there's no sense of older-to-younger generational movement, a different verb is usually more appropriate.

Does 'pass down' have any connection to 'hand down'? Are they the same?

In the context of traditions and inheritance, 'hand down' and 'pass down' are very close in meaning and often interchangeable. The main difference is that 'hand down' is also used for official legal decisions — you can 'hand down a verdict', but you would not use 'pass down' in that context.

Can I use 'pass down' in the present continuous — for example, 'she is passing down her knowledge right now'?

It's possible, but slightly awkward for a single moment in time, because passing something down is usually seen as an ongoing or completed process rather than an action happening at a specific instant. The simple present ('she passes down her knowledge') or present perfect ('she has passed down her knowledge') usually sound more natural.

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