sorprendió
sor-pren-dee-OH
Quick Reference
📝 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?
💡 Grammar Points
The Simple Past (Preterite)
This form tells you that the action ('surprising') started and finished completely at a specific moment in the past. It's a snapshot of a completed event.
The Subject is 'He, She, It, or Formal You'
Because the ending is '-ió', the subject doing the surprising is always 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'usted' (formal you), or a singular thing (like 'la noticia'—the news).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Surprising vs. Being Surprised
Mistake: "Using 'sorprendió' when you mean 'He/She/It was surprised.'"
Correction: Use 'sorprendió' only when the subject *causes* the surprise. If the subject *feels* the surprise, you need the reflexive form: 'Él **se sorprendió**' (He was surprised).
⭐ Usage Tips
Using the 'A' Personal
When someone surprises a person, you must use the 'a' personal before the person who receives the surprise: 'Ella sorprendió a su jefe.'
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sorprendió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'sorprendió'?
📚 More Resources
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.