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?
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic