Inklingo
A colorful shooting star streaking across a night sky above a quiet meadow.

acontecer

to happen

Complete conjugation tables and interactive practice exercises. This is an irregular -er verb.

The Spanish verb acontecer means to happen.

Present tense:

yoacontezco
aconteces
él/ella/ustedacontece
nosotrosacontecemos
vosotrosacontecéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecen

Complete Conjugation Tables

Reference all tenses and moods

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecieran
yoaconteciera
acontecieras
vosotrosacontecierais
nosotrosaconteciéramos
él/ella/ustedaconteciera

The imperfect subjunctive uses the stem acontecie- followed by endings like -ra or -se.

Forms, examples & usage →

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontezcan
yoacontezca
acontezcas
vosotrosacontezcáis
nosotrosacontezcamos
él/ella/ustedacontezca

The present subjunctive of acontecer uses the stem acontezc- to handle the 'c' to 'zc' change.

Forms, examples & usage →

imperative

negative

no acontezcas
vosotrosno acontezcáis
ustedesno acontezcan
nosotrosno acontezcamos
ustedno acontezca

The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive forms: no acontezcas, no acontezca.

Forms, examples & usage →

affirmative

acontece
vosotrosaconteced
ustedesacontezcan
nosotrosacontezcamos
ustedacontezca

The imperative of acontecer is rarely used, but follows the 'c' to 'zc' change in formal commands.

Forms, examples & usage →

indicative

conditional

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecerían
yoacontecería
acontecerías
vosotrosaconteceríais
nosotrosaconteceríamos
él/ella/ustedacontecería

The conditional is regular: acontecería, acontecerías, acontecería.

Forms, examples & usage →

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecieron
yoacontecí
aconteciste
vosotrosacontecisteis
nosotrosacontecimos
él/ella/ustedaconteció

The preterite of acontecer describes a specific event that took place: acontecí, aconteciste, aconteció.

Forms, examples & usage →

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecían
yoacontecía
acontecías
vosotrosacontecíais
nosotrosacontecíamos
él/ella/ustedacontecía

The imperfect of acontecer is regular: acontecía, acontecías, acontecía.

Forms, examples & usage →

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecen
yoacontezco
aconteces
vosotrosacontecéis
nosotrosacontecemos
él/ella/ustedacontece

The present indicative features a 'c' to 'zc' change only in the 'yo' form: acontezco.

Forms, examples & usage →

future

ellos/ellas/ustedesacontecerán
yoaconteceré
acontecerás
vosotrosaconteceréis
nosotrosaconteceremos
él/ella/ustedacontecerá

The future tense is regular: aconteceré, acontecerás, acontecerá.

Forms, examples & usage →

Practice Conjugations

Test your knowledge with interactive exercises

Loading exercises...

Take acontecer from tables to real Spanish

Conjugation tables are the start. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see 'acontecer' in action across real sentences — and build the instinct that native speakers have.