happen to

Question

What does 'I happened to + verb' mean?Because I saw this sentence:'I happened to meet him in town.'and was wondering what its meaning is. Can you give me some more examples with 'happen to'... thanks.LS

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

'I happened to meet him.' = 'I met him by chance' or ' I unexpectedly came face to face with him.'

'Do you happen to know the time?' = 'Do you by any chance know what time it is?' or 'Is there a possibility that you know the time?'

Rover

Nikoo · Answer

if you happen to do something, you do it by chance.

Exp:
- Justin forgot the map but I happened to have another one in the glove compartment.

- We're not related -- we just happen to have the same name.

(Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Dictionary)

CalifJim · Answer

louiSThappened to + verb

The action of the verb was unplanned or unexpected. It happened by chance.

CJ

LouiST · Answer

Thank you all.
So is it correct to say:
1) I happen to go to Paris tomorrow. (For example my birthday present... I didn't know what I was going to get, so it's unexpected.)
or:
2) I happened to get an A. (I thought this exam was very bad. But my answers were correct.. so it was unexpected)

In which tense do we use 'happen to' ? Like: I have happened to go to Paris. Does this exist? Or: I'm happening to go to Paris? If not, is it possible to use 'happen to + other tenses?'
-------------------------------------------------------
What about these:
3) I happen to see the boys smoking. (I didn't know they smoke. So I see them unexpectedly (or do I have to use 'unexpected' here? .....adverbs)

4) She happened to get a job. (She was really bad at school, but she unexpectedly found a job.)

5) We happened to see Justin Bieber. (We saw him walking on a street, but we hadn't even known that he was in our area.)

6) He happened to win. (Everybody thought he would lose, but he unexpectedly won.)

7) I happened to have been to NY four times. (I never though my family could afford this, but since they won the lottery...)

Thanks!
LS

CalifJim · Answer

louiSTSo is it correct to say:

louiST,

Your questions are excellent. You understand, of course, that this means that they are difficult to answer - and the answers may be difficult to understand.

Let's go through them one by one.

1) I happen to go to Paris tomorrow. Not possible.
'happen to go' indicates a habitual action, but 'tomorrow' indicates only once.
This would be said with the continuous: I happen to be going to Paris tomorrow.

2) I happened to get an A. OK.
... other tenses? Only the simple present and the simple past. I can't think of any other tense that's used.

I / you / he / she / we / they [happen to / happened to] ...

3) I happen to see the boys smoking. Not possible. See comments on 1.
This one needs an adverb of frequency to emphasize the habit.
You can't change it to 'happen to be seeing' because stative 'see' doesn't allow -ing.
I happen to see the boys smoking there every day.
Even so, it is unusual to use 'happen to' this way.

4) She happened to get a job. OK.

5) We happened to see Justin Bieber. OK.

6) He happened to win. OK.

7) I happened to have been to NY four times. OK.
But more commonly, I happen to have been to NY four times.

Note:
I happen to have done that is like I have done that. (like the present perfect)
I happened to have done that is like I had done that. (like the past perfect)
_____________________

Another good paraphrase of the 'happen to' idiom is 'as it turns out'.
Another is 'by coincidence'.

The most usual forms are these:

1.
I happen to be meeting them later.
(As it turns out, I will be meeting them later.) - used with action verbs, e.g., meet, go, ...
Future time.

2.
I happen to know all about that.
(As it turns out, I know all about that.) - used with stative verbs, e.g., know, have, be, ...
Present time.

3.
I happened to find this book in the closet. - with action verbs
(As it turned out, I found this book in the closet.)
I happened to have the right answer. - with stative verbs - same pattern as for action verbs
(As it turned out, I had the right answer.)
Past time.

CJ

LouiST · Answer

Thank you soooo much!!!

In general, is 'happen to' commonly used? Or rather rarely? I mean... do you hear or read it often? Or better.. do you use it often? Haha sorry, but I know you are a native, so I'm just curious

THANK YOU!
Louis

CalifJim · Answer

louiSTIn general, is 'happen to' commonly used?

It comes up from time to time, but I don't consider it a really common idiom.
I use it now and then, not often.

CJ

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