When discussing events, accadere is your go-to verb. It's often used impersonally, like in "Cosa è accaduto?" (What happened?).
You'll frequently see it with indirect object pronouns to indicate to whom something happened, for example, "Mi è accaduto qualcosa di strano" (Something strange happened to me).
It's a versatile verb for describing events unfolding, whether planned or unexpected.
Curiosidade
The 'acc-' prefix often indicates movement towards something, so 'accadere' literally suggests something 'falling towards' or 'landing on' a situation.
Nível de dificuldade
short
short
short
short
O que aprender depois
Pré-requisitos
Aprenda a seguir
Avançado
Exemplos por nível
Non so cosa possa accadere domani.
I don't know what could happen tomorrow.
Uses the subjunctive mood (possa accadere) to express uncertainty.
Incidenti stradali possono accadere in qualsiasi momento.
Road accidents can happen at any time.
Accadere is often used impersonally with things that 'happen'.
Speriamo che non accada nulla di grave.
We hope that nothing serious happens.
Another instance of the subjunctive (accada) expressing hope/desire.
È accaduto proprio come avevamo previsto.
It happened exactly as we had foreseen.
Uses the passato prossimo (è accaduto) to refer to a past event.
Cosa sta accadendo in quella stanza?
What is happening in that room?
Uses the present progressive (sta accadendo) for an ongoing action.
Se dovesse accadere un imprevisto, ti chiamerò.
If an unforeseen event should happen, I will call you.
Uses the conditional (dovesse accadere) for a hypothetical situation.
Molte cose possono accadere quando meno te lo aspetti.
Many things can happen when you least expect it.
A general statement about possibility.
Non permetteremo che questo accada di nuovo.
We will not allow this to happen again.
Uses the subjunctive (accada) after 'permettere che' (to allow that).
Padrões gramaticais
Padrões de frases
Che cosa succede?
Che cosa succede? - What is happening? (Literal: What is happening?)
Cosa è successo?
Cosa è successo ieri? - What happened yesterday? (Literal: What happened yesterday?)
È accaduto qualcosa?
È accaduto qualcosa di importante? - Did anything important happen? (Literal: Has anything important happened?)
Questo non doveva accadere.
Questo non doveva accadere. - This shouldn't have happened. (Literal: This not should have happened.)
Non mi aspettavo che accadesse.
Non mi aspettavo che accadesse così presto. - I didn't expect it to happen so soon. (Literal: Not me expected that it happen so soon.)
Può accadere a chiunque.
Può accadere a chiunque, anche a te. - It can happen to anyone, even you. (Literal: Can happen to anyone, also to you.)
Ciò che accadde cambiò tutto.
Ciò che accadde quella notte cambiò tutto. - What happened that night changed everything. (Literal: That which happened that night changed everything.)
Sembra che stia per accadere qualcosa.
Sembra che stia per accadere qualcosa di spiacevole. - It seems something unpleasant is about to happen. (Literal: It seems that is for to happen something of unpleasant.)
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'a catastrophe' or 'an accident' happening. It helps connect the sound of 'accadere' to the idea of something occurring.
Associação visual
Imagine a calendar, and a big event is circled on a specific date. This event 'accade' (happens) on that day. You could even draw a little 'AC' on the calendar for 'accadere'.
Word Web
Desafio
Try to use 'accadere' in a sentence describing something that happened yesterday or something that might happen tomorrow. For example: 'Ieri è accaduto...' (Yesterday happened...) or 'Domani potrebbe accadere...' (Tomorrow might happen...)
Origem da palavra
From Latin 'accidō'
Significado original: To fall upon, happen, occur
Indo-European, Italic, RomanceContexto cultural
When something <i>accade</i> in Italian culture, especially if it's unexpected, you might hear exclamations like "Cosa è successo?!" (What happened?!) or comments reflecting a sense of destiny, such as "Era destino che accadesse" (It was fated to happen). It's a common verb for discussing events, news, or even just daily occurrences, often carrying a slightly more formal or objective tone than 'succedere', though they are largely interchangeable in many contexts.
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasYou can use 'accadere' just like 'to happen' or 'to occur' in English. For example:
- Cosa è accaduto? (What happened?)
- Non accadrà più. (It won't happen again.)
- È accaduto qualcosa di strano. (Something strange occurred.)
Yes, 'accadere' follows the conjugation pattern of regular -ere verbs in Italian, though it's often used impersonally or in compound tenses. For example, the past participle is 'accaduto'.
While 'accadere' generally implies something that happens or occurs, it's more commonly used for unplanned or unexpected events. For planned events, you might use verbs like 'succedere' or 'svolgersi'.
Both 'accadere' and 'succedere' mean 'to happen' or 'to occur'. They are often interchangeable, but 'succedere' can also mean 'to succeed' (in a sequence) or 'to follow'. 'Accadere' is more focused on the event itself. For example:
- Cosa è successo? (What happened?) - very common
- Cosa è accaduto? (What happened?) - slightly more formal or emphasizing the event
'Accadere' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. It is often used with the auxiliary verb 'essere' in compound tenses.
You would say 'È accaduto' (masculine singular) or 'È accaduta' (feminine singular) or 'Sono accaduti' (masculine plural) or 'Sono accadute' (feminine plural) depending on the subject of the happening. Since it's often impersonal, 'È accaduto' is very common.
Not many commonly used idioms directly with 'accadere' itself, as it's quite a straightforward verb. However, you'll hear it in everyday phrases like:
- Può accadere a chiunque. (It can happen to anyone.)
- Non accadrà mai più. (It will never happen again.)
The past participle of 'accadere' is 'accaduto'.
Yes, absolutely. 'Accadere' is very frequently used for events that have already happened, especially in the passato prossimo. For example:
- È accaduto ieri. (It happened yesterday.)
- Sono accadute molte cose. (Many things have happened.)
'Accadere' is a standard and neutral verb, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It's not particularly formal or informal.
Teste-se 18 perguntas
Choose the best translation for 'accadere'.
'Accadere' means to happen or occur.
What is another word for 'accadere'?
'Capitare' is a synonym for 'accadere', both meaning to happen.
Which sentence uses 'accadere' correctly?
'Cosa può accadere domani?' means 'What can happen tomorrow?' This is the correct use of 'accadere'. The other options are grammatically incorrect.
The word 'accadere' is a verb.
'Accadere' is an Italian verb meaning 'to happen' or 'to occur'.
'Accadere' means 'to sing' in English.
'Accadere' means 'to happen' or 'to occur', not 'to sing'.
You can use 'accadere' to talk about something that will happen in the future.
'Accadere' can be used to discuss events in the past, present, or future. For example, 'Cosa accadrà?' (What will happen?).
This sentence asks 'What can happen now?' 'Cosa' (What) starts the question, followed by the auxiliary verb 'può' (can), then 'accadere' (happen), and 'ora' (now).
This means 'I don't know what will happen.' 'Non so' (I don't know) introduces the uncertainty, followed by 'cosa' (what) and 'accadrà' (will happen - future tense of accadere).
This translates to 'I hope that nothing bad happens.' 'Spero che' (I hope that) is a common introductory phrase, followed by the subjunctive 'non accada' (doesn't happen) and 'nulla di male' (nothing bad).
Write a short sentence using a form of 'accadere' to describe something that happened yesterday.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ieri è accaduto un incidente in strada. (Yesterday an accident happened on the street.)
Complete the sentence: 'Quando sono arrivato, la festa era già ______.' (When I arrived, the party had already ______.) Use a form of 'accadere'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Quando sono arrivato, la festa era già accaduta. (When I arrived, the party had already happened.)
Describe a simple event that 'will happen' tomorrow, using a form of 'accadere'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Domani accadrà una cosa interessante. (Tomorrow something interesting will happen.)
What does the passage say about the event that happened?
Read this passage:
Ho sentito una notizia. È accaduto qualcosa di importante in città. Tutti ne parlano. Non so esattamente cosa sia accaduto, ma sembra che sia una buona notizia.
What does the passage say about the event that happened?
The passage says, 'sembra che sia una buona notizia' (it seems that it's a good news).
The passage says, 'sembra che sia una buona notizia' (it seems that it's a good news).
Why was the speaker worried?
Read this passage:
Cosa ti è accaduto ieri? Ero preoccupato perché non ti ho visto. Spero che non sia accaduto nulla di grave. Forse eri solo occupato.
Why was the speaker worried?
The speaker says, 'Ero preoccupato perché non ti ho visto' (I was worried because I didn't see you).
The speaker says, 'Ero preoccupato perché non ti ho visto' (I was worried because I didn't see you).
How did the meeting happen?
Read this passage:
Il nostro incontro è accaduto per caso. Non ci aspettavamo di vederci. È stata una sorpresa piacevole. A volte, le cose migliori accadono senza pianificazione.
How did the meeting happen?
The passage states, 'Il nostro incontro è accaduto per caso' (Our meeting happened by chance/accident).
The passage states, 'Il nostro incontro è accaduto per caso' (Our meeting happened by chance/accident).
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
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Mais palavras de general
abbagliare
C1To dazzle or blind with light or beauty
abbaglio
C1A serious mistake or misconception.
abbreviare
B1To make something shorter.
abnegazione
C1Self-sacrifice or renunciation of one's own interests
accadimento
B2An event, occurrence, or happening.
accaduto
B1What happened or the event that occurred.
accanito
C1Fierce, persistent, or relentless in pursuit
accantonare
C1To put aside for future use or discard.
accattivante
C1witty, charming, or attractive.
accettabile
B2Able to be agreed on or tolerated
