Inklingo

How to Say "surprise" in Spanish

The Spanish word forsurpriseis sorpresaA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
NounA2
an unexpected event or the feeling it causes
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.

Examples

¡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.

Using 'de' and 'para' with Sorpresa

To say 'to my surprise', use 'para mi sorpresa'. To talk about something happening 'by surprise', use 'de sorpresa'. For example, 'Llegaron de sorpresa' means 'They arrived by surprise'.

It's a Feminine Word

Mistake:El sorpresa fue grande.

Correction: La sorpresa fue grande. Remember that 'sorpresa' ends in '-a' and is a feminine word, so any words describing it (like 'la' or 'grande') must also be in their feminine form.

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