sorpresa

sor-PREH-sah/soɾˈpɾesa/

“sorpresa” means “surprise” in Spanish (an unexpected event or the feeling it causes).

surprise

Also: shock, astonishment

NounfA2

A small child with wide eyes and hands covering their mouth, showing a look of astonishment while sitting next to a large, open, brightly colored gift box.

📝 In Action

¡Qué sorpresa verte aquí!

What a surprise to see you here!

Mi familia me organizó una fiesta sorpresa por mi cumpleaños.

My family organized a surprise party for my birthday.

La noticia fue una gran sorpresa para todos.

The news was a big surprise for everyone.

Para mi sorpresa, el examen fue muy fácil.

To my surprise, the exam was very easy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

asombro (amazement)
admiración (admiration/wonder)
susto (fright/scare)

Antonyms

expectativa (expectation)
previsión (forecast/prediction)

Common Collocations

dar una sorpresa – to give a surprise
llevarse una sorpresa – to get a surprise
fiesta sorpresa – surprise party
¡Vaya sorpresa! – What a surprise!

Idioms & Expressions

caja de sorpresas – Something or someone full of unexpected things.
de sorpresa – By surprise, unexpectedly.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "sorpresa" in Spanish:

astonishment→shock→surprise→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: sorpresa

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence means 'They arrived unexpectedly'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

sorprender(to surprise) — Verb

sorprendente(surprising) — Adjective

sorprendido/a(surprised) — Adjective

🎵 Rhymes▼

empresa presa princesa

📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Old French 'surprise', which meant 'an unexpected seizure or attack'. It's built from 'sur-' (meaning 'over' or 'on') and 'prendre' (meaning 'to take'). So, it literally means 'to overtake' someone unexpectedly.

First recorded: Around the 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: surpriseItalian: sorpresaEnglish: surprise

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'sorpresa' and 'susto'?

'Sorpresa' is usually neutral or positive, like for a birthday party or good news. 'Susto' is always negative and means a scare, fright, or shock, like when something suddenly jumps out at you.