A small, cheerful person depicted in a storybook style, raising their eyebrows and widening their eyes dramatically, with a slightly open mouth, showing an expression of total astonishment or awe.

caramba

kah-RAHM-bah

interjectionB1

Wow!?Expressing surprise or admiration,Darn it!?Expressing mild frustration or annoyance

Also:My goodness!?General emphasis,Good Heavens!?Mild shock or astonishment

📝 In Action

¡Caramba! ¡Qué casa tan grande tienen!

Wow! What a big house they have!

¡Caramba! Olvidé la cartera en la oficina otra vez.

Darn it! I forgot my wallet at the office again.

¡Caramba, ese es un buen precio!

My goodness, that's a good price!

Word Connections

Synonyms

¡Vaya! (Wow!)
¡Anda! (Come on! / Look!)
¡Cáspita! (Goodness me! (slightly old-fashioned))

Common Collocations

¡Caramba con... – Goodness gracious with...
¡Caramba, qué bien! – Wow, how great!

💡 Grammar Points

Always an Interjection

Since 'caramba' is an interjection, it always stands alone or starts a sentence and needs exclamation marks (¡!) in writing.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using it as an Adjective

Mistake: "No es una 'caramba' situación."

Correction: It is only an exclamation and cannot be used to describe people or things.

⭐ Usage Tips

A Polite Exclamation

Use 'caramba' when you want to express strong emotion without using crude language. It is a very soft, socially acceptable way to vent frustration or show surprise.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: caramba

Question 1 of 1

Which emotion is '¡Caramba!' most likely used to express?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

¡Ay!(Oh!) - interjection

¡Ojalá!(I hope so!) - interjection

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'caramba' considered rude or offensive?

No, absolutely not. It is actually considered a polite, or even slightly old-fashioned, way to express surprise or frustration, often used specifically to avoid saying something truly rude.