repente
reh-PEHN-teh
📝 In Action
Estábamos tranquilos, y de repente, empezó a llover muchísimo.
A2We were calm, and suddenly, it started raining heavily.
Ella se levantó de repente y salió de la habitación.
B1She got up all of a sudden and left the room.
El perro ladró de repente y nos asustó a todos.
B1The dog barked unexpectedly and scared all of us.
💡 Grammar Points
The Fixed Phrase 'De Repente'
In modern Spanish, 'repente' is always paired with the preposition 'de' (from) to create the adverbial phrase 'de repente.' This phrase acts as a single word that modifies the verb, telling you how an action happened.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Repente' as an Adjective
Mistake: "El cambio fue muy repente."
Correction: El cambio fue muy súbito. (Use the adjective 'súbito' instead, or restructure: 'El cambio ocurrió de repente.')
⭐ Usage Tips
Storytelling Device
'De repente' is a key phrase for making stories exciting! Use it at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a surprising or fast change of events in a narrative.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: repente
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses the word 'repente' to mean 'suddenly'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'repente' almost always have 'de' in front of it?
This is a historical quirk! The word comes from a Latin adverb, but Spanish categorized it as a noun. To make it function as an adverb (meaning 'suddenly'), it requires the preposition 'de,' forming a set adverbial phrase, similar to how English uses 'all of a sudden.'