“Happen” is a regular, much-used verb that most English students will discover early in their language journey. It is an active, intransitive verb, and knowing how to use it in all its tenses is important for fluency.
When asking what has occurred in the past, we say, “What happened?” If we were to ask what will occur in the future, we would say, “What will happen?” And if we wanted to know what is occurring at the present moment, then we’d ask, “What is happening?” It is never proper grammar to say “What happen?”
Let’s examine where the word “happen” originated as well as how to use it in all tenses. We’ll also consider other intransitive verbs and how verbs behave when they only have an active form.
Etymology and Use of Happen
The word “happenen” assimilated into Middle English in the late 14th century and meant “to come to pass or occur.” The word “hap” was more common at first, but it became “happen” in late Middle English (source).
Definition of “Happen”
The meaning of “happen” has not fundamentally changed over the years, but there are various nuances in its definition. In its most common usage, it means to “have existence” or to “take place,” as in the following examples:
There is a scratch on my car, but I’m not sure how it happened.
A funny thing happened on my way to work this morning.
Accidents often happen on this busy road.
It can also suggest an element of chance, as in something occurring by coincidence or accidentally (source). See the examples below to understand this.
He happens to like driving, so he won’t mind taking me.
As it happened, I had time to help her.
I happen to think he is right this time.
We create other meanings when we add other words to “happen.” If something “happens to” someone or something, then that something has an effect on that person or thing. Read the examples below to illustrate this use.
I would be so sad if anything bad happened to her.
What happened to your car? There’s a dent on the trunk.
What happened to my passport? It was on my desk when I left.
If you “happen on/upon” something or someone, then you find something unexpected, as shown in the following examples.
I happened upon the perfect quote to use in my speech.
She happened on my secret hiding place while searching for something else.
Conjugating Happen
Knowing whether to ask “what had happened” vs. “what had happen” or to enquire “when did this happen” vs. “when did this happened” requires a knowledge of the verb and how to use it in each tense.
There are three basic tenses in English — present, past, and future. Each of these has four forms — simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. Let’s look at how “happen” conjugates in each of these.
Present tense
The present tense describes a current action or state of being.
Present Simple: happen/happens
Storms often happen during the summer months.
What happens when you skip training?
Notes:
- Add an “s” for third-person singular.
- There is no helping verb — “It is happen often” is incorrect.
Present Continuous: be + happening
It feels like something special is happening now.
What is happening down at the river?
Present Perfect: has/have + happened
What has happened to Jack? He used to be more friendly.
So many things have happened since I last spoke to you!
Notes:
- Always use the helping verb “had.”
- Always use “happened.”
Present Perfect Continuous: has/have + been happening
What has been happening since I’ve been away?
Floods have been happening here since April.
Future Tense
The future tense describes a future action or state of being.
Future Simple: will + happen
Storms will happen often during the summer months.
What will happen when you skip training?
Future Continuous: will + be + happening
I wonder what will be happening this time next year.
What events will be happening at school next semester?
Future Perfect: will + have + happened
I wonder what will have happened by this time next year.
So many things will have happened by the time you return.
Future Perfect Continuous: will + have + been happening
By the time I arrive, her party will have been happening for a while.
Her campaign will have been happening for two weeks by then.
Past Tense
The past tense describes an action or state of being that occurred in the past.
Past Simple: happened
Storms often happened during the summer months.
What happened when you skipped training?
Notes:
- There is no helping verb — “It was happen” is incorrect.
Past Continuous: was/were + happening
It felt like something special was happening then.
What was happening down at the river?
Floods were happening more often.
Past Perfect: had + happened
I wondered what had happened to make Jack so unfriendly.
I told you what had happened last time I spoke to you.
Past Perfect Continuous: had + been happening
It was obvious how little had been happening in my absence.
Floods had been happening there for years.
To read more about tenses and how we use them in English, consider our article Eaten or Ate, which delves into the past tense and past participles.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Verbs are either transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs have a direct object that receives the action that the verb describes, such as in the examples below.
Jack drives the car.
Mary feeds her baby.
Here, the car and the baby are the objects of the verbs “drive” and “feed.”
Intransitive verbs are the opposite and have no direct object. That means the action that they describe remains with the subject (source), as shown below.
Jack learns quickly.
Mary slept soundly.
Other parts of speech may follow intransitive verbs, such as an adverb or a prepositional phrase, but an object cannot follow them. Nothing in the sentence indicates who or what received the action.
Active and Passive Voice
Importantly, transitive verbs can be either active or passive. Intransitive verbs can only be active. Consider the sentences above. We can turn the first two into passive sentences by inverting the subject and the object as follows:
The car was driven by Jack.
The baby was fed by Mary.
However, we cannot do the same with the other sentences because the verb is intransitive and has only an active voice.
When It Depends on the Context
Some verbs are capable of being transitive or intransitive, depending on how we use them. Here are some examples of these.
She has grown so quickly. (Intransitive)
I grow carrots and broccoli in my garden. (Transitive)
The boys always prefer to play outside. (Intransitive)
She plays the violin. (Transitive)
If you’re unsure about whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, check your dictionary. Most dictionaries indicate whether a verb, including alternative definitions, is transitive or intransitive.
The Oxford New Essential Dictionary and Dreyer’s English are both excellent resources that are available on Amazon and will be able to help you deepen your knowledge.
Happen as an Intransitive Verb
It, therefore, follows that “happen” is an intransitive verb because, when used by itself, it doesn’t have a direct object to receive action, as in the following examples.
The fire happened so quickly.
Accidents happen when roads are wet.
We cannot turn it around into a passive sentence because there is no object to receive the action.
Synonyms for Happen
Depending on the context of your sentence, there are many synonyms for “happen.” When we are referring to something having existence or taking place, then we can use any of the following synonyms:
- Occur
- Take place
- Come about
- Come into being
- Ensue
- Transpire
- Pan out
- Emerge
- Present itself
See the sentences below to illustrate this.
There is a scratch on my car, but I’m not sure how it happened.
There is a scratch on my car, but I’m not sure how it came about.
A funny thing happened on my way to work this morning.
A funny thing took place on my way to work this morning.
Accidents often happen on this busy road.
Accidents often occur on this busy road.
I wonder what will happen after she leaves.
I wonder what will transpire after she leaves.
Happen or Happened To
When we use “happen to” something or someone, then the following synonyms are appropriate:
- Become of
- Be the fate of
- Be visited on
- befall
I would be so sad if anything bad happened to her.
I would be so sad if anything bad befell her.
What happened to your car? There’s a dent on the trunk.
What was the fate of your car? There’s a dent on the trunk.
What happened to my passport? It was on my desk when I left.
What became of my passport? It was on my desk when I left.
Happen as Chance
When we are using “happen” to suggest an element of chance, then we can substitute it for words such as the following:
- Chance
- Have the good/bad fortune
I happened upon the perfect quote to use in my speech.
I chanced upon the perfect quote to use in my speech.
She happened to be near the hospital when she fell.
She had the good fortune to be near the hospital when she fell.
Other Words Using Happen
As such a common and much-used word, it follows that we will create other words from the stem “happen.” The most common of these is the noun “happening.” We use this to describe something that has happened or an occurrence, as shown in the examples below.
She called the police to investigate numerous suspicious happenings at the house.
Recent happenings at school have caused some distress.
“Happening” can also function as an adjective. In this context, it means “fashionable” or “stimulating,” as evidenced in the sentences below.
Courtney is so cool; she knows all the happening clubs in town.
They wanted to move to a more happening neighborhood.
Another noun formed from “happen” is “happenstance” or “happenchace.” Both words have the same meaning and relate to a chance situation, particularly one that has a positive result. See the sentences below to understand this word. The former is the more common expression, and “happenchance” is typically more informal.
By happenstance, they were both in New York that weekend.
We met by pure happenchance.
Common Phrases Using “Happen”
Because it’s such a common word, many regularly used phrases contain “happen.” Here are some of the most familiar.
These things happen.
We often say this to placate someone when something unpleasant has happened and to communicate that the occurrence is out of their control.
Stuff happens.
Similar to the example above, this introduces an element of chance to the occurrence. Many people use it with an expletive in the place of the word “stuff.”
That’s an accident waiting to happen.
This refers to something that is likely to cause danger, usually because it is in poor condition or because it behaves unpredictably.
Hip and happening
Here, “happening” means fashionable and, paired with “hip,” it means on-trend.
Stranger things have happened.
This means that, although a particular occurrence may seem strange or surprising, it isn’t impossible.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
This is a popular slogan — with Vegas being replaced by any other venue — to say that any scandalous activities that occur while you are in Vegas (or elsewhere) are not to be discussed with others afterward.This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
What’s the worst that can happen?
This is often asked to show that the negative risks of doing something are not very high and that, if you consider the worst outcome, it’s still not very bad.
Final Thoughts
“Happen” is a common and useful verb, but one that is often misused. It’s important to understand how to use it in all the various tenses as well as what it means in the context of a sentence. It’s also helpful to understand whether verbs are active or not because that helps to know how they behave in a sentence.
Knowing that it’s correct to ask “what happened?” is essential so that you’ll always be able to find out what went down when you weren’t looking.
Contents
- 1 How do you spell happend?
- 2 Is it happend or happened?
- 3 Which of the following is the correct Spelt word happened?
- 4 What is the meaning of happened?
- 5 How do you use happens?
- 6 How do you spell haven t?
- 7 Is haven’t gotten proper English?
- 8 Can we say Mightn T?
- 9 Is Mightn t right?
- 10 Is Whatre a word?
- 11 Is Mightn t a real word?
- 12 What is Mightn T Meaning?
- 13 What does might spell?
- 14 What re meaning?
- 15 What is when’s short for?
- 16 Is why’re a real word?
- 17 Where Re is correct?
- 18 Is how’re correct?
- 19 Can you write where Re?
- 20 Who vs Who’s?
- 21 Who’s or whose birthday?
- 22 Who vs which animals?
- 23 Who’s dog or whose dog?
- 24 Whose is better or who’s is better?
How do you spell happend?
Correct spelling for the English word “Happened” is [hˈapənd], [hˈapənd], [h_ˈa_p_ə_n_d] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
Is it happend or happened?
what happen or what happened? Explanation: The past tense, ‘happened‘ is correct. In the context offered, you are asking what (events) happened that changed or effected Jen.
Which of the following is the correct Spelt word happened?
The most common English misspellings
| Correct spelling | Spelling advice | Common misspelling |
|---|---|---|
| happened | ends with -ened | happend |
| harass, harassment | one r, two s’s | harrass, harrassment |
| honorary | -nor- in the middle | honourary |
| humorous | -mor- in the middle | humourous |
What is the meaning of happened?
1 : to occur by chance —often used with it it so happens I’m going your way. 2 : to come into being or occur as an event, process, or result mistakes will happen. 3 : to do, encounter, or attain something by or as if by chance I happen to know the answer.
How do you use happens?
How do you spell haven t?
Correct spelling for the English word “haven’t” is [hˈavənt], [hˈavənt], [h_ˈa_v_ə_n_t] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
Is haven’t gotten proper English?
“I haven´t got” is a gramatically correct literal translation into English although not belletristically ideal. “Gotten” is American colloquial slang and not good English.
Can we say Mightn T?
Mightn’t is a spoken form of ‘might not’.
Is Mightn t right?
mightn’t | American Dictionary
contraction of might not: I almost wondered if he mightn’t be right.
Is Whatre a word?
What’re is more a colloquialism and not a proper contraction. It is used in informal speaking and writing but not in formal writing.
Is Mightn t a real word?
Mightn’t is a spoken form of ‘might not. ‘
What is Mightn T Meaning?
: might not.
What does might spell?
(Entry 1 of 2) past tense of may.
What re meaning?
Contraction. what‘re. (nonstandard) Contraction of what are.
What is when’s short for?
contraction of when has:When’s he ever been an authority?
Is why’re a real word?
contraction of why are:Why’re you so late?
Where Re is correct?
That is correct, “where’re” is not proper English. You must always write out the words “where are” separately.
Is how’re correct?
“How’re” is only appropriate in informal/slang spoken English. It does, as in “How’re you doing?”, but it’s usually used in a slang sort of way. It’s easier to say “how are”.
Can you write where Re?
Please do not spell (or say) “where are” as “where’re.” Just. Don’t. Thank you. PRO TIP: “Where’re” contains the same number of syllables as “where are,” and saying it out loud sounds like you‘re mumbling “where.” It is not a good sound or look.
Who vs Who’s?
Who’s is a contraction linking the words who is or who has, and whose is the possessive form of who. They may sound the same, but spelling them correctly can be tricky.
Who’s or whose birthday?
“Who’s” is a contraction of “who is” or “who has”. “Whose” is the possessive form of “who”.
Who vs which animals?
The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) says that animals with names should be referred to as who, while animals without names should be referred to as that or which.
Who’s dog or whose dog?
“Who’s that dog?” is correct if you mean to ask who the dog is. “Who’s” is a contraction of “who is”. “Whose is that dog?” is correct if you mean to ask who the owner of the dog is.
Whose is better or who’s is better?
Whose is a possessive pronoun that you should use when you’re asking or telling whom something belongs to. Who’s is a contraction made up of the words “who” and “is” or “who” and “has”.
How do you spell happened happen?
Correct pronunciation for the word “happen” is [hˈapən], [hˈapən], [h_ˈa_p_ə_n].
What happened English?
1 : to occur by chance —often used with it it so happens I’m going your way. 2 : to come into being or occur as an event, process, or result mistakes will happen. 3 : to do, encounter, or attain something by or as if by chance I happen to know the answer.
How do you spell correct spelling?
Is happened a real word?
synonym study for happen
Happen, which originally denoted the taking place by hap or chance, is now the most general word for coming to pass: Something has happened.
Has happened or happened?
“happened” is being used as a transitive verb here (requiring an object) and it’s not. “it has happened” is the past and “it happens” is the present. It is happening. Present tense.
Is it happend or happened?
‘Happend’ is a spelling mistake of happened. Happened is past tense ie- The storm had happened a week before the playoffs.
Do u happen to know?
Do you happen to know = “do you perchance know“, “might you know”, “would you know”. Did you know = “have you heard”.
What happened How do you use?
Both forms are grammatically correct (contrary to the insistence of some British grammar purists). The first one (“What happened?”) is the one most of us would likely ever need in normal life. Use “did” when we knew something had happened but wanted more details.
How did this happen or happened?
The word “happened” is only used in sentences and not in questions. Even though the action happened in past, we used the word “happen” as the word “ did” is in past tense. Thus, the correct answer is, “how did this happen?”
Would you happen to have meaning?
Literally “happen to” means “by chance”. So literally “you happen to have” means “you have, by luck“. Figuratively we use this “by chance/by luck” phrase as a way to soften a request (make it more polite).
How do you use any chance?
You can use by any chance when you are asking questions in order to find out whether something that you think might be true is actually true.
Do you mind sentence?
No, I’ll take care of it, but do you mind if I just go home to sleep afterwards and see you tomorrow? Mr. Cade, do you mind if I have a friend over now and then?
What happened to me meaning?
A phrase used to ask about someone or something that one has not seen or spoken to recently.
What happens synonym?
In this page you can discover 74 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for happen, like: occur, happen, take-place, ensue, stumble-upon, materialize, come face to face with, occur unexpectedly, come into existence, transpire and come-up.
Do you by any chance or by any chance do you?
You usually use the idiom “by any chance” at the end or in the middle of a sentence, but it’s also grammatically correct, though not common, if you use it at the beginning of a sentence. For examples: By any chance, do you know where the church is?
What happened and what happen?
They have different tempus, but “what happened” (imperfect) is correct while “what happen” (presens) isn’t. The reason “what happen” is incorrect is that the subject is 3rd person singular which requires an “s” on the verb. Correct presens form would be “what happens”.
Has to happen meaning?
1 intr (of an event in time) to come about or take place; occur. 2 intr; foll by: to (of some unforeseen circumstance or event, esp. death), to fall to the lot (of); be a source of good or bad fortune (to) if anything happens to me it’ll be your fault. 3 tr to chance (to be or do something)
What happened to her meaning?
A phrase used to ask about someone or something that one has not seen or spoken to recently.
How do you answer what’s happening?
How do you say what happened?
Here’s a list of synonyms for happened.
…
What is another word for what happened?
| found | discovered |
|---|---|
| dug out | dug up |
| fell in with | ferreted out |
| found out | happened on |
| happened upon | hit on |
How to correctly use the word HAPPEN:
- WHAT HAPPENED? not What happen? — because the action took place in the PAST
- WHAT WILL HAPPEN? not What will happened? — because the action will take place in the FUTURE
Common Errors:
- What happen? – No matter what your sentence may be, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY this can be correct. It’s either of the following: What happened? What is happening? What happens to you everyday is…
- What will happened? – See the conflict in tenses here? WILL connotes something that will take place in the FUTURE, while HAPPENED connotes something that took place in the PAST.
Tags: happen, how to, tenses, verb
I happen to know him.
Так случилось, что я его знаю.
I happen to know the inside.
Так получилось, что я располагаю секретной информацией.
How did you happen to move here?
Как получилось, что вы сюда переехали?
Bad things happen to the best of us.
Плохие вещи случаются с лучшими из нас.
I happen to have just what you need!
У меня как раз есть то, что тебе нужно!
No thank you; I happen to be teetotal.
Нет, спасибо: так уж вышло, что я непьющий.
You don’t happen to recall his name, do you?
А вы случайно не запомнили его имени?
ещё 23 примера свернуть
It all happened many moons ago. 
What happened next is hotly disputed.
OK, out with it! What really happened?
Then wonderful things began to happen.
The accident happened just after daylight.
He is shocked at what happened to his son.
Tom flicked the switch, but nothing happened.
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
hap·pen
(hăp′ən)
v. hap·pened, hap·pen·ing, hap·pens
v.intr.
1.
a. To come to pass: Where did the accident happen?
b. To come about as a consequence; result: Trouble always seems to happen when he’s around.
c. To be the fate; become: What will happen to the business when the owner retires?
2. To encounter something by chance: I happened upon an interesting article in the newspaper.
3. To come or go casually; make an appearance: My friend happened by around dinnertime.
v.tr.
1. Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause or infinitive to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event: It happened that I was in the shower when you called. It happened to snow on the night she was born.
2. To have the fortune (to be or do something); be in a situation or position (to be or do something): The bus station happens to be close to the museum. I happen to know the answer to that question.
3. Used with an infinitive to make polite requests: Do you happen to know the time?
[Middle English happenen, from hap, chance; see hap.]
Synonyms: happen, befall, betide, chance, occur
These verbs mean to come about: saw an awful thing happen; predicted that misery will befall humankind; woe that betides the poor soldier; former friends who chanced to meet again; described the accident exactly as it occurred.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
happen
(ˈhæpən)
vb
1. (intr) (of an event in time) to come about or take place; occur
2. (foll by: to) (of some unforeseen circumstance or event, esp death), to fall to the lot (of); be a source of good or bad fortune (to): if anything happens to me, it’ll be your fault.
3. (tr) to chance (to be or do something): I happen to know him.
4. (tr; takes a clause as object) to be the case, esp if by chance, that: it happens that I know him.
adv, sentence substitute
dialect
b. (as sentence modifier): happen I’ll see thee tomorrow.
[C14: see hap1, -en1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
hap•pen
(ˈhæp ən)
v.i.
1. to take place; come to pass; occur.
2. to come to pass by chance; occur without apparent reason or design.
3. to have the fortune or lot (to do or be as specified); chance: I happened to see him on the street.
4. to befall, as to a person or thing: Don’t worry; nothing happened to her.
5. to meet or discover by chance (usu. fol. by on or upon): to happen on a clue to a mystery.
6. to be, come, go, etc., casually or by chance: My friend happened along.
7. Slang. to be very exciting or interesting: That party was happening!
[1300–50; Middle English hap(pe)nen. See hap1, -en1]
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
happen
— Fairly new to English, from hap, «chance, luck,» which was borrowed from Old Norse happ.
See also related terms for luck.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
happen
1. ‘happen’
When something happens, it takes place without being planned.
Then a strange thing happened.
There’ll be an investigation into what happened and why.
Be Careful!
Happen does not have a passive form. Don’t say, for example, ‘Then a strange thing was happened‘.
2. ‘take place’, ‘occur’
Happen is usually used after vague words like something, thing, what, or this. After words with a more precise meaning, you usually use take place or occur.
The incident had taken place many years ago.
Mrs Brogan was in the house when the explosion occurred.
Don’t say that a planned event ‘happens’. Say that it takes place.
The first meeting of the committee took place on 9 January.
The election will take place in June.
3. ‘happen to’
When something happens to someone or something, it takes place and affects them.
I wonder what ‘s happened to Jeremy?
If anything happens to the car, you’ll have to pay for it.
In sentences like these, don’t use any preposition except to after happen.
You use happen in front of a to-infinitive to show that something happens or exists by chance. For example, instead of saying ‘The two people he wanted to speak to lived in the same street’, you can say ‘The two people he wanted to speak to happened to live in the same street’.
I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If you happen to see Jane, ask her to call me.
You often use happen to be in sentences beginning with there. For example, instead of saying ‘A post office happened to be in the next street’, you say ‘There happened to be a post office in the next street’.
There happened to be a policeman on the corner, so I asked him the way.
Be Careful!
In sentences like these you must use there. Don’t say, for example, ‘Happened to be a post office in the next street‘.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
happen
Past participle: happened
Gerund: happening
| Imperative |
|---|
| happen |
| happen |
| Present |
|---|
| I happen |
| you happen |
| he/she/it happens |
| we happen |
| you happen |
| they happen |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I happened |
| you happened |
| he/she/it happened |
| we happened |
| you happened |
| they happened |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am happening |
| you are happening |
| he/she/it is happening |
| we are happening |
| you are happening |
| they are happening |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have happened |
| you have happened |
| he/she/it has happened |
| we have happened |
| you have happened |
| they have happened |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was happening |
| you were happening |
| he/she/it was happening |
| we were happening |
| you were happening |
| they were happening |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had happened |
| you had happened |
| he/she/it had happened |
| we had happened |
| you had happened |
| they had happened |
| Future |
|---|
| I will happen |
| you will happen |
| he/she/it will happen |
| we will happen |
| you will happen |
| they will happen |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have happened |
| you will have happened |
| he/she/it will have happened |
| we will have happened |
| you will have happened |
| they will have happened |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be happening |
| you will be happening |
| he/she/it will be happening |
| we will be happening |
| you will be happening |
| they will be happening |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been happening |
| you have been happening |
| he/she/it has been happening |
| we have been happening |
| you have been happening |
| they have been happening |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been happening |
| you will have been happening |
| he/she/it will have been happening |
| we will have been happening |
| you will have been happening |
| they will have been happening |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been happening |
| you had been happening |
| he/she/it had been happening |
| we had been happening |
| you had been happening |
| they had been happening |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would happen |
| you would happen |
| he/she/it would happen |
| we would happen |
| you would happen |
| they would happen |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have happened |
| you would have happened |
| he/she/it would have happened |
| we would have happened |
| you would have happened |
| they would have happened |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. | happen — come to pass; «What is happening?»; «The meeting took place off without an incidence»; «Nothing occurred that seemed important»
come about, hap, occur, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass recrudesce, develop, break — happen; «Report the news as it develops»; «These political movements recrudesce from time to time» come up, arise — result or issue; «A slight unpleasantness arose from this discussion» result — come about or follow as a consequence; «nothing will result from this meeting» intervene — occur between other event or between certain points of time; «the war intervened between the birth of her two children» transpire — come about, happen, or occur; «Several important events transpired last week» give — occur; «what gives?» operate — happen; «What is going on in the minds of the people?» supervene — take place as an additional or unexpected development proceed, go — follow a certain course; «The inauguration went well»; «how did your interview go?» come — come to pass; arrive, as in due course; «The first success came three days later»; «It came as a shock»; «Dawn comes early in June» fall — occur at a specified time or place; «Christmas falls on a Monday this year»; «The accent falls on the first syllable» anticipate — be a forerunner of or occur earlier than; «This composition anticipates Impressionism» develop — be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest; «The plot developed slowly»; recur, repeat — happen or occur again; «This is a recurring story» come off, go over, go off — happen in a particular manner; «how did your talk go over?» roll around, come around — happen regularly; «Christmas rolled around again» materialise, materialize, happen — come into being; become reality; «Her dream really materialized» bechance, befall, happen — happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; «It happens that today is my birthday»; «These things befell» (Santayana) bechance, befall, betide — become of; happen to; «He promised that no harm would befall her»; «What has become of my children?» coincide, concur — happen simultaneously; «The two events coincided» backfire, backlash, recoil — come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; «Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble» chance — be the case by chance; «I chanced to meet my old friend in the street» break — happen or take place; «Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months» fall, shine, strike — touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly; «Light fell on her face»; «The sun shone on the fields»; «The light struck the golden necklace»; «A strange sound struck my ears» turn out — prove to be in the result or end; «It turns out that he was right» contemporise, contemporize, synchronise, synchronize — happen at the same time |
| 2. | happen — happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; «It happens that today is my birthday»; «These things befell» (Santayana)
bechance, befall hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass — come to pass; «What is happening?»; «The meeting took place off without an incidence»; «Nothing occurred that seemed important» happen — chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; «I happen to have just what you need!» |
|
| 3. | happen — chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; «I happen to have just what you need!»
bechance, befall, happen — happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance; «It happens that today is my birthday»; «These things befell» (Santayana) chance — be the case by chance; «I chanced to meet my old friend in the street» |
|
| 4. |  happen — come into being; become reality; «Her dream really materialized»
materialise, materialize hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass — come to pass; «What is happening?»; «The meeting took place off without an incidence»; «Nothing occurred that seemed important» come out, appear — be issued or published; «Did your latest book appear yet?»; «The new Woody Allen film hasn’t come out yet» |
|
| 5. | happen — come upon, as if by accident; meet with; «We find this idea in Plato»; «I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here»; «She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day»
find, encounter, bump, chance |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
happen
verb
1. occur, take place, come about, follow, result, appear, develop, arise, come off (informal), ensue, crop up (informal), transpire (informal), materialize, present itself, come to pass, see the light of day, eventuate We cannot say for sure what will happen.
2. chance, turn out (informal), have the fortune to be I looked in the nearest paper, which happened to be the Daily Mail.
happen on or upon something find, encounter, run into, come upon, turn up, stumble on, hit upon, chance upon, light upon, blunder on, discover unexpectedly He just happened upon a charming guest house.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
happen
verb
2. To take place by chance:
phrasal verb
happen on or upon
To find or meet by chance:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَحْدُثيَحْدُثُيَحْدُثُ بالصُّدْفَهيَحْدُثُ لِ
stát seukázat senáhodounáhodou se státpřihodit se
ske
juhtumatoimuma
پیشامد کردن
tapahtuakäydäsattua
dogoditi se
történetesentörténik
gerast, eiga sér staî; verakoma fyrir, hendavilja til, rekast á
起こる
일어나다
fierifio
atsitiktinai būtiatsitiktinai ką padarytiatsitiktinai užeitiatsitiktinai užtiktiįvykti
izrādīties, gadītiesnejauši gadītiesnotikt
náhodou nájsť
pripetiti sezgoditi se
händaske
เกิดขึ้น
olmaktesadüfen olmakyer bulmakbaşına gelmek
xảy ra
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
happen
[ˈhæpən] vi (= occur) → arriver, se passer
Tell me what happened → Dis-moi ce qui s’est passé.
what’s happening? → qu’est-ce qui se passe?, que se passe-t-il?
what’s happened? → qu’est-ce qui s’est passé?, que s’est-il passé?
what will happen if …? → qu’est-ce qui se passera si …?, que se passera-t-il si …?
nothing happened → il ne s’est rien passé
whatever happens → quoi qu’il arrive
to happen again
It won’t happen again → Cela ne se reproduira plus.
to have happened before
I have seen this happen before → Ça s’est déjà produit auparavant.
these things happen → ça arrive
accidents will happen, accidents happen → on ne peut pas tout prévoir
see also accident
(by chance) to happen to do sth
I happened to bump into him in a shop → Il se trouve que l’ai rencontré dans un magasin.
She happened to be free that afternoon → Il se trouva qu’elle était libre cet après-midi-là.
If you happen to see Jane, ask her to phone me → Si jamais tu vois Jane, demande-lui de me téléphoner.
Do you happen to know the name of her secretary? → Connaîtriez-vous par hasard le nom de sa secrétaire?
You don’t happen to know the postal code for Swindon? → Tu ne saurais pas, par hasard, le code postal de Swindon?
I happen to know he’s lying → Je sais qu’en fait il ment.
as it happens → justement
As it happens, I don’t want to go → Justement, je ne veux pas y aller.
happen on
happen upon vt fus (= come across by chance) → tomber sur
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
happen
1
vi
(= occur) → geschehen; (somewhat special or important event) → sich ereignen; (esp unexpected, unintentional or unpleasant event) → passieren, geschehen; (process also) → vor sich gehen, geschehen; it happened like this … → es geschah or war so …; nothing ever happens here → hier ereignet sich or geschieht or passiert (doch) überhaupt nie etwas; this interview/conversation never happened → dieses Interview/Gespräch hat nicht stattgefunden; it’s all happening here today → heute ist hier ganz schön was los (inf); what’s happening? → was läuft? (inf), → was ist los?; you can’t just let things happen → du kannst die Dinge nicht einfach laufen lassen; it’s broken, how did it happen? → es ist kaputt, wie ist denn das passiert?; it just happened → es ist (ganz) von allein passiert or gekommen; as if nothing had happened → als ob nichts geschehen or gewesen wäre; worse things have happened → es ist schon Schlimmeres passiert or vorgekommen; don’t let it happen again → dass das nicht noch mal vorkommt or passiert!; these things happen → so was kommt (schon mal) vor; what has happened to him? → was ist ihm passiert or geschehen?; (= what have they done to him) → was ist mit ihm passiert?; (= what’s wrong with him) → was ist mit ihm los?; (= what has become of him) → was ist aus ihm geworden?; what’s happened to your leg? → was ist mit deinem Bein los or passiert?; if anything should happen to me → wenn mir etwas zustoßen or passieren sollte; you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me → du bist der größte Glücksfall in meinem Leben; it all happened so quickly → es ging alles so schnell
(= chance) how does it happen that …? (cause) → wie kommt es, dass …?; (possibility) → wie ist es möglich, dass …?; it might happen that you will be asked such a question → es könnte passieren or sein, dass Ihnen solch eine Frage gestellt wird; to happen to do something → zufällig(erweise) etw tun; we happened to discover we had a friend in common → wir stellten durch Zufall fest, dass wir einen gemeinsamen Bekannten hatten; do you happen to know whether …? → wissen Sie vielleicht or zufällig, ob …?; I happen to know it’s true → ich weiß zufällig(erweise), dass es stimmt; I just happened to come along when … → ich kam zufällig (gerade) vorbei, als …; he happened to see me just as I … → muss er mich doch gerade in dem Augenblick sehen, als ich …; I picked up the nearest paper, which happened to be the Daily Mail → ich nahm die erstbeste Zeitung zur Hand, es war zufällig die Daily Mail; it so happens or as it happens I (don’t) like that kind of thing → so etwas mag ich nun einmal (nicht); as it happens I’ve been there too/I’m going there today → zufällig(erweise) bin ich auch dort gewesen/gehe ich heute (dort)hin; you don’t want to come, do you? — it so happens, I do → du möchtest doch sicher nicht kommen, oder? — doch, natürlich
happen
2
adv (N Engl inf: = perhaps) → vielleicht
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
happen
(ˈhӕpən) verb
1. to take place or occur; to occur by chance. What happened next?; It just so happens / As it happens, I have the key in my pocket.
2. (usually with to) to be done to (a person, thing etc). She’s late – something must have happened to her.
3. to do or be by chance. I happened to find him; He happens to be my friend.
ˈhappening noun
an occurrence. strange happenings.
happen (up)on
to find by chance. He happened upon the perfect solution to the problem just as he was about to give up his research.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
happen
→ يَحْدُثُ stát se ske geschehen συμβαίνω ocurrir tapahtua se passer dogoditi se accadere 起こる 일어나다 gebeuren hende zdarzyć się acontecer случаться hända เกิดขึ้น olmak xảy ra 发生
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
happen
vi. suceder, acontecer, ocurrir.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
- When did it happen?
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Webster DictionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes
-
Happened
of Happen
British National Corpus
-
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘happened’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #786
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Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘happened’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #468
How to pronounce happened?
How to say happened in sign language?
Numerology
-
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of happened in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
-
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of happened in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Examples of happened in a Sentence
-
Dinara Tokbergenova:
We’re very close to each other, we don’t have anybody else, when (all this) happened, it just destroyed our life.
-
Vincent Gilles:
What happened was almost inevitable.
-
Terry Hughes:
We are all in shock really at how quick this has happened, three severe bleaching events in five years is not something we anticipated happening until the middle of the century.
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Dorothy Brown:
It’s bigger than what happened in Ferguson.
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Larissa Saveliev:
It’s painful for me to see what’s happened with Ukraine because I have a family there, i’m torn in all different directions. I have family who doesn’t talk to each other again.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translation
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