When you're speaking French, you'll often need to describe things that 'happen'. The most common way to express this might be with verbs like se passer or arriver. But just like in English, there are many nuanced ways to say something 'happened' or 'occurred'. Knowing these different options will make your French sound more natural and precise, allowing you to convey exactly what you mean in various situations. Let's explore 9 different ways to say 'to happen' in French!

The standard 'to happen' or 'to occur' – arriver

The verb arriver is one of the most common and versatile verbs in French, primarily meaning 'to happen' or 'to occur'.

While its most common translation for learners might be 'to arrive', arriver also frequently means 'to happen' or 'to occur'. Understanding both uses is crucial for fluency.

Like many verbs of movement or state of being, arriver conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., Il est arrivé - He arrived/It happened). Remember to agree the past participle with the subject when using être.

When arriver means 'to happen' or 'to occur', it's often used impersonally with il (it) or with events as subjects. For example, Il arrive que... translates to 'It happens that...' or 'It can happen that...'.

It describes events, situations, or incidents. Think of it as a synonym for se passer (to happen) or survenir (to occur).

The other primary meaning of arriver is 'to arrive' (physically coming to a place). This is often the first meaning learners encounter and is straightforward.

Fortunately, the context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended. If the subject is a person or vehicle, it likely means 'to arrive'. If the subject is an event, a situation, or an impersonal il, it often means 'to happen'.

You'll hear arriver in many common expressions, highlighting its versatility in everyday French. It's an indispensable verb for expressing both events and movement.

💡 * Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé ? (What happened?)

Il arrive toujours à l'heure. (He always arrives on time.)

Cela arrive souvent. (That happens often.)

Nous sommes arrivés à Paris hier soir. (We arrived in Paris yesterday evening.)

Il est arrivé qu'il pleuve pendant nos vacances. (It happened that it rained during our vacation.)

The general 'to happen' or 'to take place' – se passer

Se passer is a fundamental French reflexive verb meaning 'to happen,' 'to take place,' or 'to occur.' It's essential for describing events and situations.

This verb is incredibly common in daily conversation, used to ask or state what's going on, whether it's a major event or just minor occurrences.

You'll often encounter it in impersonal phrases such as Il se passe quelque chose (Something is happening) or Que s'est-il passé ? (What happened?).

It's perfect for discussing how events unfold, the course of a story, or the general state of affairs, emphasizing the spontaneous or unfolding nature of an action.

Remember that as a reflexive verb, se passer always uses être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses, e.g., Il s'est passé beaucoup de choses (Many things happened).

💡 * Que se passe-t-il ? (What's happening?)

Rien ne se passe ici. (Nothing is happening here.)

La scène se passe à Paris. (The scene takes place in Paris.)

Il s'est passé un événement important hier. (An important event happened yesterday.)

Comment ça se passe ? (How's it going / How's it happening?)

The 'to take place' (for specific events) – avoir lieu

When you want to express that an event takes place or occurs in French, the most common and precise verb phrase you'll use is avoir lieu.

Literally translating to "to have place," avoir lieu is specifically used for scheduled events, gatherings, or occurrences. It doesn't mean "to take something" in a physical sense, but rather "to happen" at a specific time or location.

In this expression, the verb avoir is conjugated according to the subject and tense, while lieu remains invariant. For example, "Le concert a lieu ce soir" (The concert is taking place tonight).

You'll frequently encounter avoir lieu when discussing concerts, meetings, festivals, ceremonies, or any planned event. It's the go-to phrase for specifying when or where something is scheduled to happen.

While other verbs like se passer can mean "to happen," avoir lieu is preferred for formal or planned events. Se passer often implies a more spontaneous or general occurrence, whereas avoir lieu denotes a pre-arranged setting.

Remember that avoir lieu is a fixed expression; you cannot substitute lieu with other nouns to convey the same meaning. It's an idiomatic phrase crucial for describing event locations and timings.

💡 * La réunion aura lieu à 10h. (The meeting will take place at 10 AM.)

Le festival de musique a lieu chaque été. (The music festival takes place every summer.)

Où aura lieu la cérémonie ? (Where will the ceremony take place?)

Les Jeux olympiques ont lieu tous les quatre ans. (The Olympic Games take place every four years.)

La conférence a eu lieu hier. (The conference took place yesterday.)

The 'to occur' or 'to arise' – se produire

Se produire is a French reflexive verb that translates to “to occur,” “to happen,” or “to arise” in English. It describes an event or situation coming into existence.

It is widely used to talk about events, incidents, or phenomena that take place. It’s a formal and precise way to express that something is happening or has happened.

While not exclusively, se produire often carries a nuance of something happening spontaneously, unexpectedly, or as a result of certain circumstances, rather than being intentionally caused.

As a reflexive verb, se produire requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. In compound tenses, it uses the auxiliary verb être (e.g., s’est produit).

💡 * Un accident s'est produit sur l'autoroute. (An accident occurred on the highway.)

De nouveaux problèmes pourraient se produire. (New problems could arise.)

Comment cela a-t-il pu se produire ? (How could that have happened?)

Ce phénomène se produit rarement. (This phenomenon rarely occurs.)

Des changements importants vont se produire. (Significant changes are going to happen.)

The 'to happen unexpectedly' or 'to crop up' – survenir

The verb survenir in French translates to 'to happen unexpectedly,' 'to crop up,' or 'to occur suddenly.' It implies an event that wasn't necessarily anticipated.

Survenir conveys the idea of something emerging or appearing without warning, often with a sense of suddenness or unforeseen occurrence. It's more specific than simply 'to happen' (arriver).

This verb is typically used in more formal or written contexts, though it can appear in spoken language when describing significant or unforeseen events. It often refers to problems, difficulties, or unexpected situations.

Like many verbs of movement or change of state, survenir conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. For example, its past participle is survenu (or survenue, survenus, survenues depending on agreement).

While arriver also means 'to happen,' survenir emphasizes the unexpected, sudden, or unforeseen nature of the event. Think of survenir for something that 'crops up' or 'springs up' suddenly.

Use survenir when you want to highlight that an event was not planned or expected, adding a nuanced layer of meaning to your French.

💡 * Un problème inattendu est survenu. (An unexpected problem cropped up/occurred.)

De nouvelles difficultés sont survenues. (New difficulties arose/cropped up.)

Si un imprévu survient, nous vous contacterons. (If an unforeseen event occurs, we will contact you.)

Le cambriolage est survenu en pleine nuit. (The burglary happened in the middle of the night.)

Des complications médicales sont survenues après l'opération. (Medical complications arose after the operation.)

The formal 'to happen' or 'to come to pass' – advenir

The verb advenir is a highly formal and somewhat archaic French verb that translates to "to happen," "to occur," or "to come to pass." Unlike more common verbs like se passer or arriver, advenir often implies an event of significance, destiny, or a more serious nature.

Most frequently, advenir is used impersonally with the pronoun il (it), forming constructions such as il advient que (it happens that) or quoi qu'il advienne (whatever may happen). This impersonal usage further emphasizes its formal and detached tone.

You will typically encounter advenir in legal documents, administrative texts, philosophical discourse, or classical literature. It is rarely used in everyday spoken French and would sound overly formal or even theatrical in casual conversation.

Advenir is an irregular verb, belonging to the same family as venir (to come). It is often found in more formal tenses like the subjunctive (qu'il advienne), the future simple (il adviendra), or the passé simple (il advint), which are common in written and literary contexts.

While understanding advenir is crucial for comprehending formal French texts, learners should generally avoid using it in their own speech or writing unless they are specifically aiming for a very elevated or literary style. For everyday situations, se passer or arriver are far more appropriate.

💡 * Il advient souvent que les événements imprévus changent le cours de l'histoire. (It often happens that unforeseen events change the course of history.)

Quoi qu'il advienne, nous serons prêts à affronter la situation. (Whatever may happen, we will be ready to face the situation.)

Que leur advienne-t-il après une telle décision ? (What will happen to them after such a decision?)

Il advint qu'un jour, un grand silence tomba sur la ville. (It came to pass that one day, a great silence fell upon the city.)

The 'to be carried out' or 'to take place' (for a process) – s'effectuer

The verb s'effectuer is a reflexive verb in French that translates most closely to 'to be carried out,' 'to take place,' or 'to be performed,' especially when referring to a process, an operation, or a specific action.

Unlike se passer (to happen, more general) or avoir lieu (to take place, for events), s'effectuer specifically implies that an action or process is being realized or executed. It's commonly used in formal or technical contexts to describe how something unfolds or is put into effect.

The reflexive pronoun se in s'effectuer emphasizes that the action is happening to itself or by itself, often indicating a natural progression or a designed execution without an explicit subject performing the action directly on an object. Think of it as 'it carries itself out.'

💡 * Le paiement doit s'effectuer avant la fin du mois. (The payment must be carried out before the end of the month.)

Les opérations de maintenance s'effectuent la nuit. (Maintenance operations are carried out at night.)

Comment s'effectue le transfert de données ? (How does the data transfer take place?)

La transition s'effectuera progressivement. (The transition will take place gradually.)

L'enregistrement s'effectue en ligne. (Registration is done online.)

The 'to unfold' or 'to take place' (for a sequence of events) – se dérouler

The 'to unfold' or 'to take place' (for a sequence of events) – se dérouler

The reflexive verb se dérouler literally means 'to unroll' or 'to unfold,' but it's most commonly translated as 'to take place,' 'to happen,' or 'to occur' when referring to events, stories, or processes.

You use se dérouler specifically when talking about something that unfolds over time, has a progression, or a sequence of events. It implies a narrative or an organized flow, rather than just a simple occurrence.

As a reflexive verb, se dérouler always uses the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., s'est déroulé, s'était déroulé).

💡 * L'histoire se déroule à Paris. (The story takes place in Paris.)

Comment la réunion s'est-elle déroulée ? (How did the meeting unfold?)

Les événements se sont déroulés rapidement. (The events unfolded quickly.)

Le festival se déroulera le mois prochain. (The festival will take place next month.)

Tout s'est déroulé comme prévu. (Everything went as planned.)

The 'to come true' or 'to happen' (for a wish or plan) – se réaliser

When you want to express that a wish, a dream, or a plan 'comes true' or 'happens' in French, the most natural and common verb to use is se réaliser.

As a reflexive verb, se réaliser literally means 'to realize oneself.' In this context, it implies that the wish or plan itself becomes a reality, rather than someone actively realizing it. This self-actualization is key to its meaning.

This verb is perfectly suited for talking about aspirations. For example, if you're discussing a long-held desire, you would say Mon rêve s'est réalisé (My dream came true) or J'espère que ton souhait se réalisera (I hope your wish comes true).

Beyond personal desires, se réaliser is also widely used for projects, ideas, or events. If a project is successfully completed, you might hear Le projet s'est réalisé comme prévu (The project was realized/happened as planned). It emphasizes the successful materialization of something conceived.

Understanding se réaliser is crucial for conveying the natural progression of ideas from conception to reality in French. It's the go-to verb for expressing the fulfillment of hopes, dreams, and well-laid plans.

💡 * Mon rêve le plus cher s'est enfin réalisé.

J'espère que tes projets se réaliseront.

Son souhait de voyager autour du monde s'est réalisé l'année dernière.

Le projet de rénovation s'est réalisé sans aucun problème.

Il faut travailler dur pour que nos ambitions se réalisent.

Are there other ways to say 'to happen' in French?

Are there other ways to say ‘to happen’ in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say ‘to happen’ in French. However, the French language is rich with nuances, and you might encounter other expressions, ranging from formal to very colloquial, or specific to certain regions.

To explore further, you can search online for phrases like ‘autres façons de dire arriver en français’ or ‘synonymes de se passer’.

As with any language learning, when you discover a new synonym for ‘to happen’, always verify its definition and observe how it’s used in various contexts before integrating it into your own vocabulary.

Immerse yourself in French media – books, films, podcasts, and conversations. You'll naturally pick up on different verbs and expressions that convey the idea of something happening, often with subtle distinctions in meaning.

For a comprehensive list of synonyms and related expressions, the WordReference entry for arriver or se passer is an excellent starting point. It often includes nuances and usage examples.

I hope you found this article helpful in navigating the various ways to say ‘to happen’ in French. As a final thought, here’s a common French saying that perfectly encapsulates the theme of things unfolding: Ce qui doit arriver, arrive. (What must happen, happens.)

9 ways to say "to happen" in French