Example: Het kan gebeuren dat het regent tijdens ons uitstapje.
Definition
"Het kan gebeuren" is a Dutch expression used to indicate that something might occur or is possible, often implying that an event is not certain but could happen, such as in the phrase 'Het kan gebeuren dat het regent tijdens ons uitstapje,' meaning 'It can happen that it rains during our outing.'
Translations
it can happen
puede pasar
pot passar
ça peut arriver
das kann passieren
può succedere
pode acontecer
Etymology
The phrase "het kan gebeuren" literally translates to 'it can happen' in English. It combines the Dutch words 'het' (the/it), 'kan' (can/is able to), and 'gebeuren' (happen/occur). This straightforward phrase reflects the common way to express possibility or uncertainty in Dutch, with no unusual or obscure origins.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Het kan gebeuren" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (A1) - set 1", containing 109 commonly used expressions.
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it can happen