survenir

to occur, to arise unexpectedly

verb soor-veh-NEER Rare

Usage Note

Survenir describes an event that happens suddenly or unexpectedly, often with disruptive consequences; it is used almost exclusively in the third person (un problème survient, 'a problem arises'). It conjugates like venir and takes être as its auxiliary in compound tenses. The related noun la survenance is used in legal and insurance contexts for the occurrence of an event.

Examples

"Un imprévu est survenu pendant la réunion."

Natural Translation

An unexpected problem arose during the meeting.

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