Portuguese Phrase
Você passou um pano na máquina?
Meaning
A question asking whether the listener cleaned an appliance by wiping it with a cloth. It implies the speaker noticed the machine might need cleaning or wants to confirm it has already been done.
When to use
Use this sentence in homes, offices, or gyms when you want to check if someone has taken care of a piece of equipment – for example after using a coffee machine, a treadmill, or a washing machine.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vocêpassouumpanonamáquina?
Pronoun "Você"
"Você" is the second‑person singular pronoun used in most of Brazil; it triggers third‑person verb conjugation.
Preterite of "passar"
"Passou" is the simple past (pretérito perfeito) form of "passar" for third‑person singular, indicating a completed action.
Indefinite article "um"
"Um" introduces a non‑specific noun; here it signals “a cloth” rather than a particular one.
Contraction "na"
"Na" = "em" + "a"; it introduces the location where the action took place.
Noun "máquina"
"Máquina" can refer to any appliance (coffee maker, washing machine, etc.) depending on context.
🗨In Conversation
Você passou um pano na máquina?
Did you wipe the machine?
Sim, já está limpa.
Yes, it’s already clean.
✕Common Mistakes
Você passa um pano na máquina?
Do not use the present tense "passa" here; the question refers to a completed action.
Você passou pano na máquina?
The noun needs the indefinite article "um" unless you are referring to a specific cloth.
Você passou um pano na maquina?
Remember the accent on "máquina"; without it the word is misspelled.
↔Alternatives
Você limpou a máquina?
Did you clean the machine?
Você deu uma passada de pano na máquina?
Did you give the machine a quick wipe?
Já passou um pano na máquina?
Have you already wiped the machine?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, "passar pano" is a very common, informal way to talk about cleaning surfaces with a cloth. It can also be used figuratively to mean "to cover up" or "to make excuses for" someone, so be aware of the context. When speaking to someone you don’t know well, you might prefer the more neutral "limpar a máquina".