Similarity · People and relationships
could pass for
be mistaken for
You could pass for someone when people might mistake you for that person.
This vs that
He could pass for his brother.
The two brothers look alike.
Hear it in real life
Is that your brother in the photo?
No, it's my cousin, but he could pass for my brother.
With her hair tied back, she could pass for her older sister.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
'Could pass for' is the usual concise way to talk about being mistaken for someone else.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: She could pass for to her sister.
Say: She could pass for her sister.
Use 'pass for' directly before the person someone might mistake her for.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
could pass for ___
With that haircut, you could pass for your brother.
She could pass for a student because she looks so young.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about similarity.
look just like ___
You look just like your mother.
have something in common
We have something in common after all.
Similarity words
People and relationships · Similarity: the words around “could pass for”.
More connectionsMore similarity words6
Your turn: say it out loud
He could pass for his brother.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
could pass for
be mistaken for
“With her hair tied back, she could pass for her older sister.”
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