Spanish Phrase
¿Le pasaste un trapo a la máquina?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the listener handed or gave a rag to the machine, usually with the purpose of cleaning it. The verb ‘pasar’ here functions like ‘to hand over’ or ‘to give’. The question is in the preterite, so it refers to a specific past moment.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to confirm that someone has supplied a cleaning rag to an appliance (e.g., a washing machine, a coffee maker) or, more figuratively, when you’re checking if a tool has been passed to a device.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Lepasasteuntrapoalamáquina?
Indirect object pronoun (le)
‘Le’ replaces the indirect object (to whom/for whom) and is used here for ‘a la máquina’.
Preterite of pasar (pasaste)
‘Pasaste’ is the second‑person singular preterite of ‘pasar’, indicating a completed action in the past.
Indefinite article + noun (un trapo)
‘Un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article; ‘trapo’ means ‘rag’ or ‘cloth’.
Prepositional phrase (a la máquina)
The phrase ‘a la máquina’ marks the recipient of the action, reinforcing the indirect object.
🗨In Conversation
¿Le pasaste un trapo a la máquina?
Did you pass a rag to the machine?
Sí, la limpié antes de poner la ropa.
Yes, I cleaned it before putting the clothes in.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Lo pasaste un trapo a la máquina?
‘Lo’ is a direct‑object pronoun; the correct indirect pronoun for ‘a la máquina’ is ‘le’.
¿Pasastele un trapo a la máquina?
Pronouns must precede the conjugated verb, not be attached to it.
¿Le pasaste un trapo a la maquina?
The word ‘máquina’ requires an accent on the first ‘a’.
¿Un trapo a la máquina le pasaste?
The indirect object pronoun should come before the verb, not after the noun phrase.
↔Alternatives
¿Le diste un trapo a la máquina?
Did you give a rag to the machine?
¿Le entregaste un trapo a la máquina?
Did you hand over a rag to the machine?
¿Pusiste un trapo en la máquina?
Did you put a rag in the machine?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking homes, cleaning appliances with a rag is a routine chore, and the verb ‘pasar’ is often used informally to mean ‘hand over’. Remember that even though ‘máquina’ is a thing, Spanish still uses the indirect object pronoun ‘le’ for it, following the same pattern as with people. Also, keep the accent on ‘máquina’; omitting it is a common typo for learners.