das Passieren, -
happen · strain · pass
The German word "passieren" is a verb that primarily means "to happen" or "to occur".
It is related to the verb "passieren" in the sense of "to pass through" or "to pass by," derived from "passieren" originally meaning "to pass."
Components (excluding prefixes):
- passieren itself is borrowed from French passer meaning "to pass."
Similar words:
- geschehen (to happen)
- sich ereignen (to occur)
- auftreten (to occur/arise)
Differences:
- passieren is more informal and commonly used in everyday contexts for "happening," e.g. Was ist passiert? (What happened?).
- geschehen is a bit more formal or literary.
- sich ereignen emphasizes events or incidents, often used in formal writing.
- auftreten often refers to the appearance/occurrence of problems or phenomena.
In sum, "passieren" is the general, everyday verb for "to happen."
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Examples
Was passiert hier?noun
What is happening here?
Können Sie die Tomaten durch ein Sieb passieren?noun
Can you strain the tomatoes through a sieve?
Wir müssen diese gefährliche Brücke passieren.noun
We have to pass this dangerous bridge.
Wird morgen etwas Besonderes passieren?noun
Will something special happen tomorrow?
Die Schiffe passierten den schmalen Kanal bei Nacht.noun
The ships passed the narrow canal at night.
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