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ocurren

oh-KOO-rehn/oˈku.ren/

“ocurren” means “they happen” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they happen, they occur

Also: they take place
VerbA2regular ir
A colorful firework exploding in a night sky, representing a sudden event taking place.
past Participleocurrido
infinitiveocurrir
gerundocurriendo

📝 In Action

A veces ocurren accidentes en esta calle.

A2

Sometimes accidents happen on this street.

Cosas extrañas ocurren por la noche.

A2

Strange things occur at night.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • errores que ocurren – errors that occur
  • cuando ocurren – when they happen

they occur to (someone), they come to mind

VerbB1regular ir
A bright yellow lightbulb appearing above a person's head, representing a new idea.
past Participleocurrido
infinitiveocurrirse
gerundocurriéndose

📝 In Action

Se me ocurren muchas ideas para el proyecto.

B1

Many ideas are coming to me for the project.

¿No se te ocurren otras soluciones?

B1

Can't you think of any other solutions?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • venir a la mente (to come to mind)

Common Collocations

  • se le ocurren – he/she thinks of (plural things)

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesocurran
vosotrosocurráis
él/ella/ustedocurra
nosotrosocurramos
túocurras
yoocurra

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesocurrieren
vosotrosocurrierais
él/ella/ustedocurriera
nosotrosocurriéramos
túocurrieras
yoocurriera

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesocurrieron
vosotrosocurristeis
él/ella/ustedocurrió
nosotrosocurrimos
túocurriste
yoocurrí

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesocurrían
vosotrosocurríais
él/ella/ustedocurría
nosotrosocurríamos
túocurrías
yoocurría

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesocurren
vosotrosocurrís
él/ella/ustedocurre
nosotrosocurrimos
túocurres
yoocurro
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ocurren" in Spanish:

they happen→they occur→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ocurren

Question 1 of 2

How would you say 'Many ideas occur to me'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ocurrir(to happen) — Verb
ocurrencia(witty remark / idea) — Noun
ocurrido(happened) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
correnborren
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'occurre', meaning 'to run towards' or 'to present itself'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: occurFrench: occurer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ocurren' regular?

Yes, 'ocurren' follows the regular pattern for verbs ending in -ir in the present tense.

Can I use 'ocurren' for people arriving?

No, even though the Latin root meant 'to run towards', in modern Spanish it only means to happen or for an idea to appear.