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sorprende

sor-PREN-deh/soɾˈpɾende/

“sorprende” means “surprises” in Spanish (He/she/it surprises).

surprises, is surprising

Also: astonishes, takes by surprise
VerbB1regular er
A small, round character standing with an expression of wide-eyed surprise and an open mouth, looking down at a single, bright red flower that has unexpectedly popped up right in front of its feet.
infinitivesorprender
gerundsorprendiendo
past Participlesorprendido

📝 In Action

Me sorprende que sepas tanto de eso.

B1

It surprises me that you know so much about that.

Él sorprende a todos con su talento.

A2

He surprises everyone with his talent.

La tormenta nos sorprende en medio de la carretera.

B2

The storm catches us by surprise in the middle of the road.

¡Sorprende a tu madre con un regalo!

A2

Surprise your mother with a gift! (Formal command)

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • espera (expects)
  • aburre (bores)

Common Collocations

  • Me sorprende mucho – It surprises me a lot
  • Sorprende a la audiencia – It surprises the audience

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedsorprende
yosorprendo
túsorprendes
ellos/ellas/ustedessorprenden
nosotrossorprendemos
vosotrossorprendéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsorprendía
yosorprendía
túsorprendías
ellos/ellas/ustedessorprendían
nosotrossorprendíamos
vosotrossorprendíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedsorprendió
yosorprendí
túsorprendiste
ellos/ellas/ustedessorprendieron
nosotrossorprendimos
vosotrossorprendisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedsorprenda
yosorprenda
túsorprendas
ellos/ellas/ustedessorprendan
nosotrossorprendamos
vosotrossorprendáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsorprendiera
yosorprendiera
túsorprendieras
ellos/ellas/ustedessorprendieran
nosotrossorprendiéramos
vosotrossorprendierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "sorprende" in Spanish:

astonishes→is surprising→surprises→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: sorprende

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'sorprende' to mean 'The result surprises me'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Old French verb *surprendre* (to take by surprise), which itself combined the prefix *sur-* (over/upon) and *prendre* (to take). The idea is literally 'to take someone unawares or from above'.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: surprendrePortuguese: surpreender

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'sorprende' and 'sorprendido'?

'Sorprende' is a verb form meaning 'he/she/it surprises' (an action). 'Sorprendido' is an adjective meaning 'surprised' (a state of being). Example: 'La noticia sorprende' (The news surprises) vs. 'Estoy sorprendido' (I am surprised).