happen
gb/hˈæpən/ us/hˈæpən/
A2
Engels
~ 300
van, történik, véletlenül, történetesen, megesik
WERKWOORD
A2
1
Gebruikspatroon:
[something] happens
The meeting will happen at 3 p.m.
Accidents can happen when you're not careful.
What will happen if we miss the train?
A lot happened while you were away.
It happened so fast that I didn't have time to react.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
The party will happen on Friday.
Bad things can happen if you drive too fast.
What will happen if it rains?
The movie happens in New York.
Something strange happened yesterday.
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes confuse 'happen' with 'make' or 'do'. Remember: 'happen' is for events, not for actions you do yourself.
Betekenis
To take place or occur
Woordcombinaties
happen suddenly
|happen again
|happen overnight
|happen by accident
|happen quickly
Synoniemen
occur (Slightly more formal; often used in academic or official contexts.)
|
take place (Often used for planned events, but can also mean unplanned occurrence.)
Antoniemen
prevent (Means to stop something from happening.)
Thema's
daily life
|time
|events
|core_vocabulary
Definitie
To take place or occur, often without planning.
To come into existence or take place, especially without being planned or intended.
WERKWOORD
B1
2
véletlenül
A2
történetesen
B2
Gebruikspatroon:
happen to [do something]
I happened to see your brother at the store.
Véletlenül megláttam a testvéredet a boltban.
She happened to know the answer to the question.
Történetesen tudta a választ a kérdésre.
We happened to be in Paris at the same time as them.
If you happen to find my keys, let me know.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
I happened to meet my teacher in the park.
Véletlenül találkoztam a tanárommal a parkban.
He happened to see an old friend on the bus.
Véletlenül meglátott egy régi barátot a buszon.
We happened to be at the same shop.
She happened to know my cousin.
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes omit 'to' after 'happen' in this structure. Always use 'happen to [verb]'.
Betekenis
To do something by chance
Woordcombinaties
happen to know
|happen to see
|happen to meet
Synoniemen
stumble upon (More informal and vivid; often suggests pleasant surprise.)
Thema's
daily life
|chance
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definitie
To do or find something without planning it.
To do, find, or experience something unexpectedly or by coincidence.
WERKWOORD
A2
3
Gebruikspatroon:
[something] happens to [someone]
What happened to your car?
Mi történt az autóddal?
Something amazing happened to me yesterday.
Tegnap valami csodálatos történt velem.
Nothing bad has ever happened to her before.
Tell me what happened to the project.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
What happened to your phone?
Mi történt a telefonoddal?
Something bad happened to him.
Valami rossz történt vele.
Nothing happened to my bag.
What happened to you yesterday?
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes confuse 'happen with' and 'happen to'. Use 'happen to' for events affecting someone or something.
Betekenis
To be experienced by someone
Woordcombinaties
happen to me
|happen to you
|what happened to
Synoniemen
befall (More formal and literary; often used for negative events.)
Thema's
daily life
|personal experiences
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definitie
When something occurs to someone or in their life.
To affect someone or come into their life as an event or situation.
Grammatica
Lemmavorm
happen
IPA
GB/hˈæpən/
US/hˈæpən/
Lettergrepen en klemtoon
hap - pen (2 lettergrepen)
Stress on 1st syllable (hap)
Woordvormen
Verb
- Base: happen
- 3rd Person Singular: happens
- Present Participle: happening
- Past: happened
Woordfamilie
Forms
happens
verb
happening
verb
happened
verb
Related words
mishap
noun
Uitdrukkingen
as it happens
1/ˈæz ˈɪt hˈæpənz/
fixed phrase
Introduce surprising related fact
Used before giving information that is surprising or interesting in the situation.
Voorbeelden
- As it happens, I was just about to call you.
- As it happens, we have an extra ticket.
happen to know
1/hˈæpən tə nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
Know something by chance
To know something without planning or expecting to know it.
Voorbeelden
- I happen to know the manager here.
- Do you happen to know where she lives?
happen upon
1/hˈæpən əpˈɑn/
phrasal verb
Find by chance
To find or see something by accident, not because you were looking for it.
Voorbeelden
- I happened upon an old photo album in the attic.
- They happened upon a small café in the countryside.
make something happen
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmθɪŋ hˈæpən/
fixed phrase
Cause an event or result
To cause something to occur through effort or action.
Voorbeelden
- She worked hard to make the project happen.
- If we all help, we can make it happen.
whatever happens
1/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ hˈæpənz/
fixed phrase
No matter what occurs
Used to say that something will be done or remain true even if any kind of event occurs.
Voorbeelden
- I’ll support you whatever happens.
- Whatever happens, don’t lose hope.