Inklingo

How to Say "might happen" in Spanish

The Spanish word formight happenis pasaraB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1

pasara

verbB1
Possibility
A tiny seed on the ground instantly sprouting into a large, vibrant, blooming flower, illustrating a hypothetical event.

Examples

Si pasara algo urgente, te llamaría de inmediato.

If something urgent were to happen, I would call you immediately.

No creían que eso pasara nunca en su ciudad.

They didn't believe that that would ever happen in their city.

The 'Imperfect Subjunctive' Tense

This form ('pasara') is used when talking about past wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations that were unlikely or impossible. Think of it as 'would' or 'were to' in English.

Conditional Sentences

When you set up a hypothetical condition starting with 'Si' (If), the verb in the 'If' part often needs this special form: 'Si pasara esto, haríamos aquello' (If this happened, we would do that).

Mixing Up Tenses in 'If' Clauses

Mistake:Using the future tense after 'Si': 'Si pasará mañana, te aviso.'

Correction: The correct pattern for future hypotheticals is 'Si pasa mañana, te aviso' (using the present indicative). Reserve 'pasara' for less likely or past hypothetical events.

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