happens
happens — verb
- happenspresent simple I / you / we / they
- happenses3rd person singular
- happensing-ing form
- happensedpast simple
1. When an event or situation happens, it takes place or begins — for instance, a s
When an event or situation happens, it takes place or begins — for instance, a storm, a wedding, an accident, or a change in a system.
A terrible storm happened during the night and flooded the streets.
subject = event (storm)
Many important changes happened at the company after Caleb became the director.
A strange thing happened when Nkechi opened the old wooden box in the attic.
The ceremony will happen at the town hall on a sunny Saturday morning.
What happens if you leave milk out of the fridge for a whole day?
- occur
more formal; common in writing and official contexts
- take place
suggests something planned or scheduled
- come about
informal; suggests a gradual development
文法句型
something happens
what happens if…
用法筆記
Intransitive only — never takes a direct object (✗ 'I happened the party'). The subject is always an event, situation, or process, never a person.
常見錯誤
2. When a person, animal, or object is affected by an event — particularly an unwel
When a person, animal, or object is affected by an event — particularly an unwelcome one such as an illness, accident, or loss — speakers say that something happens to them. The focus is on who or what experiences the change.
I hope nothing bad happens to Ziad while he is travelling alone through the desert.
pattern: happen to + person (bad event)
A strange thing happened to Isabela's laptop — it suddenly stopped turning on.
What happened to the old cinema on Green Street? It was closed down last year.
If anything happens to the children while we are away, please call Henrik at once.
- befall
very formal or literary; always used for bad events
文法句型
something happens to + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Always paired with 'to' + noun phrase when mentioning who or what is affected. Subject is typically something harmful or problematic. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes an event existing, while sense 2 focuses on the effect on a specific person or object.
常見錯誤
3. To do something, be in a situation, or discover something without planning or in
To do something, be in a situation, or discover something without planning or intending it — for example, happening to meet an old friend, happening to know the answer, or happening to be nearby when something occurs.
Rohan happened to be waiting at the same bus stop when the singer walked past.
happen + to-infinitive (coincidence)
Do you happen to know where Henrik left his bicycle? I need to borrow it.
polite question: do you happen to + verb
The new science teacher happened to live in the same building as Marco.
It so happens that Nkechi and Isabela went to the same primary school years ago.
- chance to
more formal; same structure, e.g., 'I chanced to meet him'
- intend to
doing something deliberately or on purpose
文法句型
happen + to-infinitive
happen to be/have/know
it (so) happens that
用法筆記
Commonly used as a politeness strategy in requests ('Do you happen to…?'). Also appears in the fixed expression 'it (so) happens that…' to introduce a coincidence. This sense differs from senses 1–2 because it describes a person's unplanned action or state, not an event occurring.
常見錯誤
happens — adverb
1. Used in the fixed phrase 'as it happens' (or 'as it happened' for past events) t
Used in the fixed phrase 'as it happens' (or 'as it happened' for past events) to introduce a fact or comment that is surprising, coincidental, or connected to what was just said — similar to 'as a matter of fact' or 'actually'.
As it happens, I have an extra ticket for tonight's show if you want it.
fixed phrase: as it happens
As it happens, Pim knows Michael's cousin very well from university.
We needed a Japanese translator, and as it happens, Caleb spent three years living in Osaka.
As it happened, the same song was playing on the radio when Hyun walked into the cafe.
- as a matter of fact
slightly more formal; can be used in more contexts
- actually
more general and common; not limited to coincidences
文法句型
as it happens, + clause
as it happened, + clause
用法筆記
Used only in the fixed phrase 'as it happens' (present) or 'as it happened' (past). Cannot stand alone as an adverb (✗ 'Happens, I know the answer'). This is the only adverbial use of the word 'happens'.