sorprendió
“sorprendió” means “he surprised” in Spanish (single past action).
📝 In Action
El final de la película me sorprendió muchísimo.
A2The ending of the movie surprised me a lot.
Ella sorprendió a todos con su talento oculto.
B1She surprised everyone with her hidden talent.
¿Quién sorprendió al ladrón dentro de la casa?
B2Who surprised the thief inside the house?
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sorprendió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'sorprendió'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'sorprender' comes from the Latin words *super* (meaning 'over' or 'above') and *prehendere* (meaning 'to grasp' or 'to seize'). It literally meant 'to seize someone from above' or 'to catch someone unaware,' which is exactly what a surprise does!
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'sorprendió' a regular or irregular verb form?
It is a regular verb form. The base verb 'sorprender' follows the standard patterns for -er verbs in all tenses, including the Preterite (simple past) tense where 'sorprendió' comes from.
Why does 'sorprendió' have an accent mark?
In Spanish, the accent mark on 'sorprendió' (and other -ió endings in the simple past) is essential. It tells you to put the stress on the final syllable, signaling that the action happened completely in the past.