Ocurrir Conjugation in Spanish
ocurrir means “happen” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Spanish learners meet — it sits at number 46 in VerbFlow’s frequency list. You use it for saying something happened, for talking about accidents, and for talking about events in a city. Because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ocurrir — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Yo ocurro algo extraño todos los días.” — “I happen something strange every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ocurrir
- English: to happen
- Verb type: Regular -ir verb
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: ocurriendo
- Past participle: ocurrido
- Auxiliary: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + the past participle)
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for ocurrir. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurro |
| tú | ocurres |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurre |
| nosotros/as | ocurrimos |
| vosotros/as | ocurrís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurren |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurrí |
| tú | ocurriste |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurrió |
| nosotros/as | ocurrimos |
| vosotros/as | ocurristeis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurrieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurría |
| tú | ocurrías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurría |
| nosotros/as | ocurríamos |
| vosotros/as | ocurríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurrían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurriré |
| tú | ocurrirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurrirá |
| nosotros/as | ocurriremos |
| vosotros/as | ocurriréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurrirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurriría |
| tú | ocurrirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurriría |
| nosotros/as | ocurriríamos |
| vosotros/as | ocurriríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurrirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he ocurrido |
| tú | has ocurrido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha ocurrido |
| nosotros/as | hemos ocurrido |
| vosotros/as | habéis ocurrido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han ocurrido |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había ocurrido |
| tú | habías ocurrido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había ocurrido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos ocurrido |
| vosotros/as | habíais ocurrido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían ocurrido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré ocurrido |
| tú | habrás ocurrido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá ocurrido |
| nosotros/as | habremos ocurrido |
| vosotros/as | habréis ocurrido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán ocurrido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría ocurrido |
| tú | habrías ocurrido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría ocurrido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos ocurrido |
| vosotros/as | habríais ocurrido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían ocurrido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurra |
| tú | ocurras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurra |
| nosotros/as | ocurramos |
| vosotros/as | ocurráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurran |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ocurriera |
| tú | ocurrieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurriera |
| nosotros/as | ocurriéramos |
| vosotros/as | ocurrierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurrieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ocurre |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurra |
| nosotros/as | ocurramos |
| vosotros/as | ocurrid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurran |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ocurras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ocurra |
| nosotros/as | ocurramos |
| vosotros/as | ocurráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ocurran |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ocurriendo |
| Past participle | ocurrido |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Yo ocurro algo extraño todos los días.” — “I happen something strange every day.”
Preterite
The preterite is used for completed actions in the past. For example: “Tú ocurriste un accidente en la calle ayer.” — “You happened an accident in the street yesterday.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and background description. For example: “Él ocurría muchas cosas en la ciudad antes.” — “He used to happen many things in the city before.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, predictions and probability. For example: “Yo ocurriré algo extraño mañana.” — “I will happen something strange tomorrow.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, polite requests and hypothetical situations. For example: “Tú ocurrirías un accidente en la calle algún día.” — “You would happen an accident in the street someday.”
Present perfect
The present perfect is used for recent past actions and life experience, formed with haber + the past participle. For example: “Él ha ocurrido muchas cosas en la ciudad esta semana.” — “He has happened many things in the city this week.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Yo había ocurrido algo extraño antes de la fiesta.” — “I had happened something strange before the party.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Tú habrás ocurrido un accidente en la calle para mañana.” — “You will have happened an accident in the street by tomorrow.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Él habría ocurrido muchas cosas en la ciudad ayer.” — “He would have happened many things in the city yesterday.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “Es importante que yo ocurra algo extraño.” — “It is important that i happen something strange.”
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive (-ra) is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, and clauses after a past-tense trigger. For example: “Ojalá tú ocurrieras un accidente en la calle.” — “I wish you happened an accident in the street.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. The imperative of ocurrir gives a direct order; the negative forms use the present subjunctive pattern. For example: “¡Ocurre muchas cosas en la ciudad!” — “Happen many things in the city!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. The imperative of ocurrir gives a direct order; the negative forms use the present subjunctive pattern. For example: “No ocurras algo extraño.” — “Do not happen something strange.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ocurrir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Spanish and try to produce it from the English.
- “Yo ocurro algo extraño todos los días.” — “I happen something strange every day.”
- “Tú ocurriste un accidente en la calle ayer.” — “You happened an accident in the street yesterday.”
- “Él ocurría muchas cosas en la ciudad antes.” — “He used to happen many things in the city before.”
- “Yo ocurriré un accidente en la calle mañana.” — “I will happen an accident in the street tomorrow.”
- “Tú ocurrirías algo extraño algún día.” — “You would happen something strange someday.”
- “Él ha ocurrido muchas cosas en la ciudad esta semana.” — “He has happened many things in the city this week.”
- “Yo había ocurrido algo extraño antes de la fiesta.” — “I had happened something strange before the party.”
- “Tú habrás ocurrido un accidente en la calle para mañana.” — “You will have happened an accident in the street by tomorrow.”
- “Es importante que él ocurra muchas cosas en la ciudad.” — “It is important that he happen many things in the city.”
- “¡Ocurre algo extraño!” — “Happen something strange!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Yo ocurrir algo extraño.”
✓ Right: “Yo ocurro algo extraño.”
The infinitive ocurrir never takes a subject. After yo you need the conjugated present form ocurro.
2. Confusing ocurrir with pasar
✗ Wrong: “Yo paso algo extraño.”
✓ Right: “Yo ocurro algo extraño.”
Ocurrir means to happen; pasar also means to happen, and to spend time.
3. Using the wrong auxiliary in perfect tenses
✗ Wrong: “Yo soy ocurrido algo extraño.”
✓ Right: “Yo he ocurrido algo extraño.”
Spanish perfect tenses are always built with haber, never with ser. The correct form is he + the participle ocurrido.
4. Dropping the written accent
✗ Wrong: “ocurri”
✓ Right: “ocurrí”
The accent on ocurrí is part of the spelling in the preterite. Without it the form looks like a different word, so always write the accent.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Ojalá tú ocurres algo extraño.”
✓ Right: “Ojalá tú ocurras algo extraño.”
After ojalá Spanish needs the subjunctive, so use ocurras here, not the indicative ocurres.
6. Using the preterite for a habitual past action
✗ Wrong: “Yo ocurrí algo extraño antes.” (said of a repeated habit)
✓ Right: “Yo ocurría algo extraño antes.”
The preterite ocurrí describes one finished action. For something you did regularly in the past, use the imperfect ocurría.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ocurrir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the yo form of ocurrir in the Present indicative?
- A) ocurres
- B) ocurre
- C) ocurrimos
- D) ocurro
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of ocurrir in the Preterite?
- A) ocurriste
- B) ocurrimos
- C) ocurrió
- D) ocurrí
What is the nosotros/as form of ocurrir in the Imperfect?
- A) ocurríais
- B) ocurríamos
- C) ocurría
- D) ocurrías
What is the tú form of ocurrir in the Future?
- A) ocurrirás
- B) ocurriré
- C) ocurrirá
- D) ocurriremos
What is the yo form of ocurrir in the Conditional?
- A) ocurrirías
- B) ocurriríamos
- C) ocurriríais
- D) ocurriría
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of ocurrir in the Present subjunctive?
- A) ocurramos
- B) ocurráis
- C) ocurra
- D) ocurras
What is the yo form of ocurrir in the Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)?
- A) ocurrierais
- B) ocurriera
- C) ocurrieras
- D) ocurriéramos
What is the gerund of ocurrir?
- A) ocurriendo
- B) produciendo
- C) entendiendo
- D) pidiendo
What is the past participle of ocurrir?
- A) producido
- B) entendido
- C) pedido
- D) ocurrido
What does ocurrir mean in English?
- A) to understand
- B) to ask for
- C) to happen
- D) to produce
Answer key
- D) ocurro — the yo form of ocurrir in the present indicative is ocurro. The other options (ocurres, ocurre, ocurrimos) are the same tense for different persons.
- C) ocurrió — the él/ella/Ud. form of ocurrir in the preterite is ocurrió. The other options (ocurrí, ocurriste, ocurrimos) are the same tense for different persons.
- B) ocurríamos — the nosotros/as form of ocurrir in the imperfect is ocurríamos. The other options (ocurría, ocurrías, ocurría) are the same tense for different persons.
- A) ocurrirás — the tú form of ocurrir in the future is ocurrirás. The other options (ocurriré, ocurrirá, ocurriremos) are the same tense for different persons.
- D) ocurriría — the yo form of ocurrir in the conditional is ocurriría. The other options (ocurrirías, ocurriría, ocurriríamos) are the same tense for different persons.
- C) ocurra — the él/ella/Ud. form of ocurrir in the present subjunctive is ocurra. The other options (ocurra, ocurras, ocurramos) are the same tense for different persons.
- B) ocurriera — the yo form of ocurrir in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) is ocurriera. The other options (ocurrieras, ocurriera, ocurriéramos) are the same tense for different persons.
- A) ocurriendo — the gerund of ocurrir is ocurriendo; it is used with estar for the progressive. The other options are the gerunds of neighbouring verbs.
- D) ocurrido — the past participle of ocurrir is ocurrido; perfect tenses use haber + ocurrido. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- C) to happen — ocurrir means “to happen” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does ocurrir mean in English?
ocurrir means “to happen”. You use it for saying something happened, for talking about accidents, and for talking about events in a city. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ocurrir regular or irregular?
ocurrir is regular -ir verb, with no irregular tense — it follows the regular pattern throughout. The gerund is ocurriendo and the past participle is ocurrido.
What are the gerund and past participle of ocurrir?
The gerund is ocurriendo — use it with estar for actions in progress. The past participle is ocurrido — use it with haber for the perfect tenses, as in he ocurrido (I have happened).
What is the difference between ocurrir and pasar?
Ocurrir means to happen; pasar also means to happen, and to spend time. If you are unsure, check the full table for pasar and compare the meanings in context.
How do I say “I happen” in Spanish?
Say “Yo ocurro algo extraño.” — “I happen something strange every day.” The yo form of the present is ocurro, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- ocurrir in the present tense — the full table and uses for this verb in its most practised tense.
- ocurrir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- Producir conjugation — another everyday Spanish verb.
- Entender conjugation — another everyday Spanish verb.
- Pedir conjugation — another everyday Spanish verb.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular verbs.
- Preterite tense guide — how the preterite works, and when to choose it over the imperfect.
- Verb Conjugator — practise ocurrir with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise ocurrir with the interactive tool.