ocorrem

Ocorrer is a Portuguese verb that means to happen, to take place, or to occur. The form ocorrem is the present indicative, third person plural, used when the subject is plural and the action is currently taking place.

Etymology and usage context

Ocorrer derives from Latin occurrere, meaning to run to meet or to come to pass. In contemporary Portuguese, ocorrem is commonly used in neutral or formal contexts to describe events, phenomena, or conditions that happen or arise. It is often found in scientific, technical, or descriptive writing, as well as in news reports and formal statements.

Grammatical notes and examples

Ocorrer is an intransitive or semi-impersonal verb in many contexts. Its present form ocorrem functions with plural subjects, as in: Vários problemas ocorrem durante a atualização do sistema. It can be used with a future or conditional sense as well: Se ocorrerem falhas, o sistema deve registrar logs. The related forms include ocorre (singular), ocorreu (past), ocorreram (past plural), and ocorrerá (future).

Relationship to similar verbs

Ocorrer is closely related to acontecer and to suceder. Acontecer is often more colloquial and widely used in everyday speech to indicate events or happenings, while ocorrem tends to appear in neutral, factual descriptions or technical writing. Suceder emphasizes sequence or succession of events and is somewhat more literary or formal.

See also

See also the verbs ocorrer, acontecer, and suceder for nuanced usage across registers and regional varieties.