repente
“repente” means “suddenness” in Spanish (The concept of being sudden (rarely used alone)).
suddenness
Also: abruptness
📝 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.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: repente
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses the word 'repente' to mean 'suddenly'?
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👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes directly from the Latin adverb *repente*, which already meant 'suddenly.' In Spanish, it evolved into a noun but kept its original function through the fixed phrase 'de repente,' essentially meaning 'from suddenness.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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.'