Although you can say 'yo ocurro' (I happen), this verb is most often used in the third person ('él/ella/usted' form) to mean 'it happens' or 'they happen'.

Mostly for 'It'

'Ocurrir' and 'pasar' both mean 'to happen' and are often interchangeable. 'Ocurrir' can sound a little more formal, like you'd see in the news, while 'pasar' is more common in everyday chat.

'Ocurrir' vs. 'Pasar'

Extremely common, used daily to talk about events.

Forgetting the 'se'

This structure flips the English sentence. The *idea* is the star of the show. Instead of 'I have an idea,' you say 'Se me ocurre una idea,' which is like saying 'An idea happens to me.' The 'me' shows who the idea is happening to.

Verbs that Work Backwards (like 'Gustar')

While 'Tengo una idea' is correct, 'Se me ocurre una idea' is often a more natural and common way to express that an idea just popped into your head.

The Natural Way to Say 'I Have an Idea'

A very common and natural way to talk about having ideas.

Learn the two key meanings of 'ocurre' in Spanish: 'it happens' and 'it occurs to me'. See full conjugations for 'ocurrir', examples, and common mistakes.

ocurre

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

future

imperfect

conditional

preterite

imperative

negative

affirmative

subjunctive

present

imperfect

Practice Conjugations