German word

passieren

Pronunciation

IPA/paˈsiːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbhappen

Example

Gestern ist viel passiert.

A lot happened yesterday.

Illustration for passieren (happen)

More examples

Bei der Reise ist nichts passiert.

During the trip, nothing happened.

Core concept

A moving thing gets through a point, while an unplanned event gets through into reality on its own.

Common phrases

  • etwas passiert

    Something happens

  • nichts passiert

    Nothing happens

  • so etwas passiert

    Something like that happens

Similar words

geschehen: A standard verb for saying that an event takes place.
ereignen: An accident or incident takes place.
vorkommen: An event or phenomenon takes place in a particular situation or place.

Definition in German

(intransitiv) vorkommen; etwas ereignet sich ohne ausdrückliches Zutun einer handelnden Person.

Word origin

German passieren comes from French passer 'to pass', from Latin passare, with the sense of an event occurring developing from the broader idea of passing.

Usage tips

  • A person affected by an event is commonly marked with the dative: 'Das ist mir passiert' means 'That happened to me'.

Other meanings

  • pass byverb
  • strainverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word