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suceder

to happen; to succeed

verb soo-seh-DEHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin succedere (to come after, to follow).

Usage Note

Suceder is a false friend: its primary meaning is 'to happen' (¿qué sucedió? = 'what happened?'), not 'to succeed' in the sense of achievement — that is tener éxito or lograr. Its secondary meaning is 'to succeed/follow' someone in a post (suceder al presidente). Context usually clarifies which sense is meant.

Examples

"¿Qué sucedió anoche?"

Natural Translation

What happened last night?

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