American English
/ˈhæ.pn̩/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
to take place or occur
Practice out loudto take place or occur
The accident happened on a rainy morning.
The meeting happened on time.
For an event, use happen, not pass. Pass usually means to move by, finish, or succeed in a test.
an accident happens · something unexpected happens · happen suddenly · happen often
something happens
something happens when + situation
to take place in someone's life or experience, often unexpectedly
Something strange happened to Maya.
What happened to your hand?
bad things happen · good things happen · happen all the time
something happens to someone
what happened to someone?
to do something or be somewhere by chance, without planning it
I happened to see your brother downtown.
We happened to be in Boston that week.
happen to know · happen to see · happen to be
someone happens to + verb
someone happens to be + place or adjective
to take action so that something desired occurs
We have a plan. Now let's make it happen.
this is normal; problems like this can occur
I forgot the tickets. It happens.
used to ask about the result of a possible situation
What happens if I miss the bus?