Words / A2

HAP-uh-n/ˈhæpən/

Happen means take place: what happened, it happened yesterday, accidents happen. Occur is more formal. The pattern is happen to + person/thing: what happened to your bag. Happen to + verb can mean “by chance”: I happened to see her. Do not say “happen me” — English needs to: it happened to me.

Meaning

To take place or occur.

Examples

• “What happened to your phone?”
• “Did anything interesting happen at work?”
• “Something has happened to the internet connection.”

Good to know

what happened? happen to + person/thing. Not “happen me.”

Near in meaning

occur

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