Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"What happened?" in Spanish: ¿qué pasó?
¿qué pasó?
What happened? in Spanish is ¿qué pasó? Use ¿qué pasó? after a noise or surprising news. ¿Qué pasó aquí? asks about a place.
Hearing a crash
¿Qué pasó? ¿Estás bien?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ¿qué pasó?
Say it
keh pah-SOH
/ke paˈso/
keh pah-SOH. Stress SOH. Rising question tone.
"What happened?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿qué pasó? | what happened? Default reaction question. | Default reaction question. |
| ¿qué pasó aquí? | what happened here? About a place or scene. | About a place or scene. |
| ¿qué te pasó? | what happened to you? Personal concern. | Personal concern. |
| ¿qué ocurre? | what's going on? Slightly more formal present-tense twin. | Slightly more formal present-tense twin. |
How to use ¿qué pasó? in real life
- 1Hearing a crash
¿Qué pasó? ¿Estás bien?
What happened? Are you okay?
Worry first.
- 2Friend looks upset
Te veo raro. ¿Qué pasó?
You look off. What happened?
Gentle prompt.
- 3Group chat
Vi tu mensaje. ¿Qué pasó ayer?
I saw your message. What happened yesterday?
Adds a time.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿qué pasó?
Incorrect: Qué paso (no accent).
Correct: ¿Qué pasó?
Need accents: qué and pasó, plus ¿?.
Incorrect: ¿Qué pasa? (for a finished past event).
Correct: ¿Qué pasó?
¿Qué pasa? is present "what's going on?"; past events use ¿qué pasó?
Good to know
Good to know¿Qué pasó? is the everyday past reaction. ¿Qué pasa? is present and ongoing. Matching tense keeps you clear.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking on a friend after a bang in the kitchen
ChatPal
¡Ay! ¿Qué pasó?
Oh! What happened?
You
Se cayó un vaso. ¿Qué pasó contigo? ¿Corriste?
A glass fell. What happened with you? Did you run?
ChatPal
Sí, escuché el ruido.
Yes, I heard the noise.
You
Tranquilo, no me corté.
Relax, I didn't cut myself.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What happened?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What happened?" in Spanish
How do you say what happened in Spanish?
¿Qué pasó?
Qué pasó vs qué pasa?
¿Qué pasó? is past. ¿Qué pasa? is present.
Do I need both accents?
Yes—qué and pasó.
Is this rude?
No—neutral concern; soften with ¿estás bien?
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