no me extraña
/no me eɡstɾaɲa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'no wonder' is translated into Spanish as no me extraña.
The phrase is used to express that a situation is not surprising because there is a clear reason for it.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, no me extraña means 'it does not surprise me'.
Which one should you use?
In English, 'no wonder' can be used as a standalone exclamation. In Spanish, no me extraña is more naturally used as a complete clause or followed by the word que.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the variation No es de extrañarse is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you follow the phrase with a clause, you must add que, resulting in the construction no me extraña que… In formal contexts, the construction No es de extrañar que can be followed by a subjunctive verb to add a touch of doubt or speculation.
How do you pronounce it?
/no me eɡstɾaɲa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish speaking countries, extrañar also means 'to miss someone'. This means the same verb used to say 'no wonder' is used to express the sadness of someone's absence.
- The verb extrañar in no me extraña comes from the word for 'strange' or 'foreign'. To say something does not surprise you is literally to say it does not feel 'foreign' to your experience.
- While no me extraña is common, Spanish speakers often use the phrase con razón to mean 'no wonder'. This shifts the focus from the speaker's lack of surprise to the existence of a logical reason.
Examples in context
- No es de extrañar que haya obtenido el puesto de trabajoIt's not surprising that he/she got the job
- No es sorprendente que haya ganado el premioIt's not surprising that he/she won the award
- No me extraña que no le guste esa películaIt doesn't surprise me that he/she doesn't like that movie
- No es de extrañar que haya obtenido una beca.It's not surprising that he/she received a scholarship.
- No me extraña que hayas ganado el concurso.It doesn't surprise me that you won the competition.
- No es de extrañarse que haya tantos turistas en esta playa paradisíaca.No wonder there are so many tourists on this paradise beach.
- No me extraña que esté cansado.No wonder he is tired.
- No me extraña que no haya comida.No wonder there is no food.
- No me extraña que tengas hambre.No wonder you are hungry.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a friend who failed a test.
- SofíaJuan reprobó el examen de matemáticas.Juan failed the math exam.
- MateoNo me extraña, no estudió nada.No wonder, he didn't study at all.
- SofíaEs verdad, siempre estaba jugando videojuegos.That's true, he was always playing video games.
- MateoTiene que empezar a tomarlo en serio.He has to start taking it seriously.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
