The difference between “passieren” & “stattfinden”
Are you tired of confusing the German verbs “stattfinden” and “passieren”? This blog post will delve into the nuances between these two words and help you understand how to use them correctly!
The confusion with “passieren” and “stattfinden”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're trying to communicate in German but end up using the wrong verb? It's a common mistake among language learners, especially regarding the similar verbs "passieren" and "stattfinden". These two verbs are often used interchangeably by non-native speakers despite their subtle differences in meaning. In the following, you will learn what each verb means, when, and how to use it.
Recommended study materials on the topic:
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
German Verb Charts: Learning Regular and Irregular Verbs at a glance
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The German verb “passieren”
If you're learning German, you'll quickly learn the verb “passieren.” While it may seem like an irrelevant verb, it's one that you'll use frequently in everyday conversation. The word “passieren” can mean "to happen,”“to occur,” or “to pass by.” This particular verb adheres to the regular conjugation patterns for verbs and creates the past tense Perfekt with the auxiliary verb "haben". An alternative, more sophisticated choice to express the concept of "passieren" is to use the verb "vorkommen,” or “geschehen.”
When we use the German verb "passieren" to talk about unexpected events, we acknowledge that they happened of their own accord - we didn't plan for them to happen, but they did anyway.
For example:
Der Unfall ist am Wochenende passiert! → The accident happened over the weekend!
Ist etwas passiert? → Did something happen?
Was ist mit dem Restgeld passiert? → What happened to the money left?
The German verb “stattfinden”
Stattfinden is a separable verb that translates to "take place" in English. This verb is irregular in nature, making it all the more essential to understand its conjugation. “Stattfinden” is derived from the verb "finden" and therefore becomes "fand statt" in Präteritum and "hat stattgefunden" in Perfekt.
In German, you use “stattfinden” when an event, occurrence, or action happens as planned. For example, a friend's birthday party, a business meeting, or a concert.
For example:
Jans Geburtstagsparty findet am Sonntag statt. → Jan's birthday party takes place on Sunday.
Die Konferenz findet in Berlin statt. → The conference takes place in Berlin.
Die Deutschprüfung hat am Montag stattgefunden. → The German exam took place on Monday.
Conclusion
I hope this article has highlighted the distinction between "passieren" and "stattfinden" for you. If you ever find yourself uncertain, feel free to ponder over these two questions:
Does the event take place spontaneously? If yes, choose “passieren”.
Has the event been planned to take place? If yes, choose “stattfinden”.
You should also check out the the meaning of “passieren” and “vorübergehen”.
Bis bald!
Steffie
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