caramba
/kaˈɾamba/
In Spanish, 'good grief' can be expressed as caramba or hostia.
Meaning: expression of surprise or shock (intj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| caramba | /kaˈɾamba/ | |
| hostia | /ˈostja/ | vulgar |
Both terms are used to express surprise or shock. You can also use the informal phrase ¡Vaya tela! to express surprise, frustration or disbelief, which conveys a similar sentiment to 'good grief'.
Which one should you use?
caramba is a euphemistic option used to express surprise without using profanity. In contrast, hostia is used to express much stronger shock, but it is considered vulgar.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
caramba is a euphemistic way to react to something surprising. hostia is vulgar and may be considered offensive in many contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of hostia as an exclamation of surprise is particularly common in Spain.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈɾamba/
Did you know?
- In Spain, the vulgar exclamation hostia is so versatile that it can also describe a physical blow, such as a punch, or even a very high speed.
- The exclamation caramba is a linguistic 'safety valve' designed to replace the harsher swear word carajo.
- While hostia is ubiquitous in Spain, it is rarely used as an exclamation of surprise in Latin American countries, where it may not be understood in this context.
Examples in context
- ¡Caramba!, qué sorpresa verte aquí.Good grief, what a surprise to see you here.
- ¡Caramba!, el coche es enorme.Good grief, the car is huge.
- ¡Caramba!, no esperaba este resultado.Good grief, I wasn't expecting this result.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking at a very expensive piece of jewelry in a shop window.
- Daniel¡Caramba!, ese collar es precioso.Good grief, that necklace is beautiful.
- ElenaSí, pero es demasiado caro.Yes, but it is too expensive.
- DanielTienes razón, Elena.You are right, Elena.
- ElenaMejor sigamos caminando.We should keep walking.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good grief” translations and entries caramba, hostia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
