happen – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of happen

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to happen upon sb
Participle: happened upon sb
Gerund: happening upon sb

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of happen

Indicative

Present

Ihappen upon sb
youhappen upon sb
he;she;ithappens upon sb
wehappen upon sb
youhappen upon sb
theyhappen upon sb

Perfect

Ihave happened upon sb
youhave happened upon sb
he;she;ithas happened upon sb
wehave happened upon sb
youhave happened upon sb
theyhave happened upon sb

Past

Ihappened upon sb
youhappened upon sb
he;she;ithappened upon sb
wehappened upon sb
youhappened upon sb
theyhappened upon sb

Pluperfect

Ihad happened upon sb
youhad happened upon sb
he;she;ithad happened upon sb
wehad happened upon sb
youhad happened upon sb
theyhad happened upon sb

Future

Iwill happen upon sb
youwill happen upon sb
he;she;itwill happen upon sb
wewill happen upon sb
youwill happen upon sb
theywill happen upon sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have happened upon sb
youwill have happened upon sb
he;she;itwill have happened upon sb
wewill have happened upon sb
youwill have happened upon sb
theywill have happened upon sb

Subjunctive

Present

Ihappen upon sb
youhappen upon sb
he;she;ithappen upon sb
wehappen upon sb
youhappen upon sb
theyhappen upon sb

Perfect

Ihave happened upon sb
youhave happened upon sb
he;she;ithave happened upon sb
wehave happened upon sb
youhave happened upon sb
theyhave happened upon sb

Imperfect

Ihappened upon sb
youhappened upon sb
he;she;ithappened upon sb
wehappened upon sb
youhappened upon sb
theyhappened upon sb

Pluperfect

Ihad happened upon sb
youhad happened upon sb
he;she;ithad happened upon sb
wehad happened upon sb
youhad happened upon sb
theyhad happened upon sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould happen upon sb
youwould happen upon sb
he;she;itwould happen upon sb
wewould happen upon sb
youwould happen upon sb
theywould happen upon sb

Perfect

Iwould have happened upon sb
youwould have happened upon sb
he;she;itwould have happened upon sb
wewould have happened upon sb
youwould have happened upon sb
theywould have happened upon sb

Imperative

youhappen upon sb
weLet's happen upon sb
youhappen upon sb

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam happening upon sb
youare happening upon sb
he;she;itis happening upon sb
weare happening upon sb
youare happening upon sb
theyare happening upon sb

Perfect

Ihave been happening upon sb
youhave been happening upon sb
he;she;ithas been happening upon sb
wehave been happening upon sb
youhave been happening upon sb
theyhave been happening upon sb

Past

Iwas happening upon sb
youwere happening upon sb
he;she;itwas happening upon sb
wewere happening upon sb
youwere happening upon sb
theywere happening upon sb

Pluperfect

Ihad been happening upon sb
youhad been happening upon sb
he;she;ithad been happening upon sb
wehad been happening upon sb
youhad been happening upon sb
theyhad been happening upon sb

Future

Iwill be happening upon sb
youwill be happening upon sb
he;she;itwill be happening upon sb
wewill be happening upon sb
youwill be happening upon sb
theywill be happening upon sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have been happening upon sb
youwill have been happening upon sb
he;she;itwill have been happening upon sb
wewill have been happening upon sb
youwill have been happening upon sb
theywill have been happening upon sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould be happening upon sb
youwould be happening upon sb
he;she;itwould be happening upon sb
wewould be happening upon sb
youwould be happening upon sb
theywould be happening upon sb

Perfect

Iwould have been happening upon sb
youwould have been happening upon sb
he;she;itwould have been happening upon sb
wewould have been happening upon sb
youwould have been happening upon sb
theywould have been happening upon sb

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'happen'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'happen'

appel, append, behappen, dampen, halsen, hamper, happy, harden, harken, harten,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

spring up; to come into action
arise
take place
hold
happen
occur, transpire
to exist; to be a reality
bechance, befall, belimp, betide, betime, chance, come about, come to pass, crop up, evene, eventuate, go on, hap, hold, occur, pass, take place, transpire
occur
transpire, befall, arise, break, eventuate, betide, come, chance

Additional Information

Etymology

1. c.1300, happenen "to come to pass, occur," originally "occur by hap" (q.v.); replaced O.E. gelimpan, gesceon, and M.E. befall. First record of happenstance is 1897, formed from happening + circumstance. Happening in the sense of "spontaneous event or display" is from 1959.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *kob-der.
4. Proto-Germanic *hampą
5. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
6. Proto-Germanic *-janą
7. Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder.
8. Old Norse *happader.?
9. ▲
10. Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder.
11. Old Norse *heppader.?
12. Old English hæppander.?
13. Middle English happen
14. Proto-Indo-European *-o-
15. Proto-Indo-European *-nom
16. Proto-Indo-European *-onom
17. Proto-Germanic *-aną
18. Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
19. Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
20. Proto-Germanic *-janą
21. Old English -an
22. Middle English -en
23. Middle English happenen
24. English happen
25. From Middle English happenen, hapnen, augmented from Middle English happen (“to come to pass, happen”), perhaps from Old English hæppan (“to move accidentally, slip”) and/or from Old Norse *happa, *heppa, from Proto-Germanic *hampijaną (“to fit in, be fitting”). Equivalent to hap (“a chance, occurrence, byfall”) + -en (verbal suffix). See: Middle English 'happenen', Proto-Germanic '*hampijaną'.

Verbs referencing "happen"

Norwegian, nynorsk heppa.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] was placed in a situation so exquisitely ridiculous, that even then I had as strong a sense of its absurdity as I have now, and could no more help laughing than I can at any other comical incident, happening under circumstances the most favourable to its enjoyment. About midnight we shipped a sea, which forced its way through the skylights, burst open the doors above, and came raging and roaring down [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Now, it had so happened that, in approaching the door, Eliza had caught enough of the conversation to know that a trader was making offers to her master for somebody. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] of any change of clothes, to go to church that day, we were compelled to decline these kindnesses, one and all; and I was reluctantly obliged to forego the delight of hearing Dr. Channing, who happened to preach that morning for the first time in a very long interval. I mention the name of this distinguished and accomplished man (with whom I soon afterwards had the pleasure of becoming personally [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] the street doors so marvellously bright and twinkling; and all so slight and unsubstantial in appearance—that every thoroughfare in the city looked exactly like a scene in a pantomime. It rarely happens in the business streets that a tradesman, if I may venture to call anybody a tradesman, where everybody is a merchant, resides above his store; so that many occupations are often carried on in one [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Andy grinned. “ Yer see, ” said Sam, “ yer see, Andy, if any such thing should happen as that Mas’r Haley's horse _should_ begin to act contrary, and cut up, you and I jist lets go of our’n to help him, and _we'll help him_—oh yes ! ” And Sam and Andy laid their heads back on their [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • I happened to arrive at the first factory just as the dinner hour was over, and the girls were returning to their work; indeed the stairs of the mill were thronged with them as I ascended. They were all well [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘I know it is. Why?’ ‘Some suicides happened here, when it was first built. I expect it come about from that. ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ Well, ” said Aunt Chloe, “ s’pose dere will; but de Lord lets drefful things happen, sometimes. I don't seem to get no comfort dat way. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] whom they appealed—one of their own selection confirmed my impression (which was unknown to him ) instantly, and said, with a genuine air it was impossible to doubt, that he could n't think how it happened, but he was growing very dull of hearing. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • After dinner, we went down to the railroad again, and took our seats in the cars for Washington. Being rather early, those men and boys who happened to have nothing particular to do, and were curious in foreigners, came (according to custom ) round the carriage in which I sat; let down all the windows; thrust in their heads and shoulders; hooked [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • - Awesome! - But since then... - What happened ? - You guys don't know ? (Fit in with the App)
  • than I fear my household will bear. No ceremony, Thomas, no ceremony! A passing fancy. I happened to be on the river ! (A Man for All Seasons)
  • I 'm Detective Patch, by the way. What happened to your face ? (Protein)
  • has this kind of sordid past to it. These terrible things that have happened here. (Anomalies 3: Killer Tapes)
  • They don't know what happened. You don't know what happened. (Anomalies 3: Killer Tapes)