ocurrió
“ocurrió” means “it happened” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
it happened
Also: it occurred, it took place
📝 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.
it occurred to (me/you/him)
Also: I/you/he thought of
📝 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?
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "ocurrió" in Spanish:
it occurred→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ocurrió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says "It occurred to me to buy bread"?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'occurrere', which is a combination of 'ob-' (meaning 'toward' or 'against') and 'currere' (meaning 'to run'). So, the original idea was of something 'running into' you or crossing your path.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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).