Translation of German word "passieren" to English
passieren
/pasɪˈʁeːn/
Meaning
VerbTo occur or take place.
How to use
The weak verb passieren has two meanings: 'to happen / occur' (Was ist passiert? — What happened?) and 'to pass / cross' (die Grenze passieren — to cross the border). Since it ends in -ieren, its past participle is passiert (without ge-). When meaning 'to happen', it is intransitive and always uses sein as its perfect auxiliary (Es ist mir passiert — It happened to me). In the sense of passing/crossing, it can use haben.
🇬🇧 English
to happen
Example
Etwas passiert, wenn man den Knopf drückt.
Something happens when you press the button.
Lassen Sie mich Ihnen erzählen, wie es passiert ist.
Let me tell you how it happened.
Your personal vocabulary
🦊 Use this word in a live AI conversationSynonyms
Common phrases
- Was ist passiert?— What happened? / What's occurred?
- die Grenze passieren— to cross the border (transitive)
- ein Unfall passiert— an accident happens / occurs
📖 Related grammar
🦊 Conjugation of the verb "passieren"Full conjugation →
Present Tense (Präsens)
Simple Past (Präteritum)
Perfect (Perfekt)
ich bin/habe passiert
Imperative (Imperativ)
Frequency rank: #272 in German
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the definition of the German word "passieren"?▼
The German word "passieren" is defined as: "To occur or take place."
What does the German word "passieren" mean?▼
The German word "passieren" means "to happen" in English.
How do you pronounce the German word "passieren"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "passieren" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "passieren"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "Etwas passiert, wenn man den Knopf drückt." (which translates as "Something happens when you press the button.").
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