avvenire

to happen

verb ahv-veh-NEE-reh Common

Origin: Latin advenire (to come to, to arrive), from ad- + venire

Also means

to come to pass

Usage Note

Avvenire is an essere verb — è avvenuto un incidente (an accident happened). Its past participle avvenuto agrees with the subject. It is formal/written compared to the more colloquial succedere or capitare (to happen). As a noun, l'avvenire (m.) means 'the future' — pensare all'avvenire (to think about the future). Irregular: present avviene, future avverrà.

Examples

"Cosa è avvenuto ieri sera?"

Natural Translation

What happened last night?

Literal Translation

What is happened last evening?

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