ocurrió
/oh-koo-rryoh/
it happened
Ocurrió: When an event happened or took place.
ocurrió(Verb)
it happened
?an event taking place
it occurred
?slightly more formal
,it took place
?describing a planned event
📝 In Action
El accidente ocurrió en la mañana.
A2The accident happened in the morning.
¿Sabes qué ocurrió ayer en la fiesta?
B1Do you know what happened yesterday at the party?
El robo ocurrió cuando no había nadie en casa.
B1The robbery occurred when nobody was home.
💡 Grammar Points
A Specific Moment in the Past
"Ocurrió" is used for events that happened at a specific, completed point in the past. Think of it as a snapshot of an event. This is different from "ocurría," which describes something that was happening over a period of time.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using it for People
Mistake: "Mi amigo ocurrió a la fiesta."
Correction: Mi amigo vino a la fiesta. (My friend came to the party). 'Ocurrió' is for events or situations, not for people arriving or being somewhere.
⭐ Usage Tips
News and Storytelling
You'll hear "ocurrió" a lot in news reports or when someone is telling a story about a specific incident. It's a great alternative to the more common "pasó".
Ocurrió: When a thought or idea occurred to someone.
ocurrió(Verb)
it occurred to (me/you/him)
?an idea or thought coming to mind
I/you/he thought of
?a more natural English equivalent
📝 In Action
Se me ocurrió una idea brillante.
B1A brilliant idea occurred to me.
A ella se le ocurrió llamar a sus padres.
B1It occurred to her to call her parents.
¿Nunca se te ocurrió que podría ser peligroso?
B2Did it never occur to you that it could be dangerous?
💡 Grammar Points
The "Idea" Formula: Se + (me/te/le) + ocurrió
When an idea "happens" to someone, Spanish uses a special structure. The 'se' is part of the verb, and words like 'me', 'te', or 'le' show who had the idea. Think of it like "An idea occurred itself to me."
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting 'se'
Mistake: "Me ocurrió una buena idea."
Correction: Se me ocurrió una buena idea. For ideas, the verb is 'ocurrirse', so you always need that little 'se' before the other pronoun.
⭐ Usage Tips
"I just had an idea!"
A super natural way to say this in Spanish is "¡Se me acaba de ocurrir una idea!". The structure 'se me ocurrió' is perfect for sharing sudden thoughts or solutions.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ocurrió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says "It occurred to me to buy bread"?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'ocurrió' and 'pasó'?
They are very similar for saying 'it happened'. 'Pasó' is generally more common and casual. 'Ocurrió' can sound a little more formal and is often used for important or unexpected events, like in the news. However, only 'ocurrió' (as 'ocurrirse') can be used to talk about having an idea.
Is 'ocurrió' only for bad things?
Not at all! While it's often used for accidents or problems ('ocurrió un desastre'), it's totally neutral. You can say 'El milagro ocurrió' (The miracle happened) or 'La reunión ocurrió sin problemas' (The meeting happened without any problems).
Can I say 'yo ocurrió'?
No, 'ocurrió' is the form for 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/it/you formal). It means 'it happened'. If you want to say that something happened *to you*, you would say 'me ocurrió algo' (something happened to me).