Pasarse de largo
To go past by a long way.
to go past; **to go past**; **to overshoot**; **to miss**; **to go too far**
Pasarse de largo means to go beyond the intended point without stopping or noticing.
Nos hemos pasado de largo.
We went past it.
Me pasé de largo y no vi la salida.
I missed the exit.
Se pasó de largo con la broma.
He took the joke too far.
The expression can be literal.
A driver may miss the correct exit.
But it is equally common in figurative situations.
Someone may overlook an opportunity, fail to notice an important detail or continue talking long after they should have stopped.
- misses a turning
- overlooks something important
- goes too far
- fails to stop at the right moment
- lets an opportunity pass unnoticed
The expression comes from travelling beyond one's intended destination.
Spanish later extended the metaphor to any situation where someone exceeds the appropriate limit or misses the right moment.
Unlike pasarse, which often means simply "to go too far," pasarse de largo retains the idea of continuing without realising it until it is too late.
That nuance makes it especially useful.
Spanish speakers frequently use pasarse de largo in both physical and metaphorical situations without changing the wording.
A driver can pasarse de largo at a motorway exit.
A comedian can pasarse de largo with a joke.
A company can pasarse de largo by ignoring the right moment to change strategy.
The underlying image is always the same: continuing beyond the point where you should have stopped.
Do not translate the expression literally.
English speakers would not normally say:
We passed ourselves by long.
Instead, choose:
- We went past it.
- I missed it.
- He went too far.
according to the context.
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