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?
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "sorprendió" in Spanish:
✏️ 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.