acontecer
to happen
verb ah-kohn-teh-SEHR Rare
Origin: From Latin ad- + contingere, 'to come upon'.
Also means
to occur
Usage Note
Acontecer is a formal or literary synonym of ocurrir and suceder, typically used in writing or elevated speech. It is most often used in the third person: lo que acontece ('what is happening'). The derived noun acontecimiento ('event, happening') is very common even in everyday registers.
Examples
"Nadie sabe qué acontecerá mañana."
Natural Translation
Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.

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