happen
verb [ I ] uk/ˈhæp.ən/ us/ˈhæp.ən/
(HAVE EXISTENCE)
A2 发生
(of a situation or an event) to have existence or come into existence
No one knows exactly what happened but several people have been hurt. 没人确切了解发生了什么事，只知道有数人受伤。
Anything could happen in the next half hour. 接下来的半小时内什么事都可能会发生。
A funny thing happened in the office today. 今天，办公室里发生了一件有趣的事。
I don't want to think about what might have happened if he'd been driving any faster. 我不愿意去想假如他再开快些会怎么样。
happen to someoneA2 发生在（某人）身上；作用于…
If something happens to someone or something, it has an effect on him, her, or it.
I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him (= if he was hurt, became ill, or died). 我不知道一旦他出了事我该怎么办。
What happened to your jacket? There's a big rip in the sleeve. 你的夹克怎么了？袖子上撕了一条大口子。
What's happened to my pen? (= Where is it?) I put it down there a few moments ago. 我的钢笔哪儿去了？我刚刚把它放在那儿。
- More examples
- It is frightening to think what might happen if she left him.
- I cannot predict what will happen next year.
- I could tell from her expression that something serious had happened.
- The police showed him a photo to try to jog his memory about what had happened on the night of the robbery.
- "Do you remember much about the accident?" "No, it all happened so suddenly."
(CHANCE)
C1 偶然，碰巧
to do or be by chance
[ + to infinitive ] They happened to look (= looked by chance) in the right place almost immediately. 他们碰巧几乎一下就找对了地方。
[ + (that) ] Fortunately it happened (that) there was no one in the house at the time of the explosion. 幸运的是，爆炸发生时，屋子里没有人。
[ + that ] It just so happens that I have her phone number right here. 非常凑巧，我正好有她的电话号码。
She happens to like cleaning (= she likes cleaning, although that is surprising). 她恰恰就喜欢打扫卫生。
I happen to think he's right (= I do think so, although you do not). 我真的认为他是对的。
As it happened (= although it was not planned), I had a few minutes to spare. 我碰巧有几分钟空闲。
- More examples
- On Sundays I just wear any old thing that I happen to find lying around.
- Did she happen to mention whether she would be coming?
- I just happened to be walking past when he came out of the shop.
- Jack happens to be a cousin of mine, so I'll introduce you to him.
- Do you happen to know what time the next bus is due?
Phrasal verbs
happen along/by (somewhere) 碰巧来到
to go to a place by chance or without planning to
I'd have drowned if he hadn't happened along and pulled me out of the river. 要不是他碰巧走过，把我从河里拉上来，我可能已经淹死了。
happen on/upon something/someone 偶然发现，偶然遇到
to find or meet something or someone by chance
Eventually they happened on a road leading across the desert. 最后，他们偶然找到了一条穿越沙漠的路。
happen
adverb UK Northern English uk/ˈhæp.ən/ us/ˈhæp.ən/
有可能，据估计
perhaps
Happen it'll rain later on. 过一会儿可能会下雨。