دَهْشَة
dahšafeminine
The English word 'surprise' is translated into Arabic as دَهْشَة (dahša). Wiktionary also lists تَعَجُّب (taʕajjub).
Meaning: feeling that something unexpected has happened (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| دَهْشَة | dahša | feminine |
| تَعَجُّب | taʕajjub | masculine |
Both دَهْشَة and تَعَجُّب are nouns used to describe the feeling that something unexpected has happened. If you want to say that an action was performed out of surprise, you can use the phrase مِنْ دَهْشَة.
Which one should you use?
While both words can mean surprise, دَهْشَة is a more general sense of being startled or surprised. In contrast, the masculine form تَعَجُّب often carries a nuance of wonder or astonishment at something unusual.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a person who is feeling surprised, you use the active participle مُتَعَجِّب, which is derived from the verb of wonder/astonishment. To describe something that causes surprise, you use the adjective مُدْهِش.
How do you pronounce it?
dahša
Did you know?
- The root of تَعَجُّب is used in Arabic grammar to name a specific 'style of exclamation' called أُسْلوب التَّعَجُّب, which has its own rigid structural rules.
- The word مُدْهِش for 'surprising' shares a root with words meaning 'to confuse' or 'to lose one's way', suggesting that true surprise is a form of momentary disorientation.
- When someone is extremely surprised in a social setting, they might use the phrase 'Subhan Allah' to direct the wonder toward God, rather than just expressing their own state.
Examples in context
- تفاجأت بالهدية المذهلة التي تلقيتها.I was surprised by the amazing gift I received.
- بَدَتْ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا دَهْشَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ.badat 'ala wajhiha dahshatun kabiratun.A great surprise appeared on her face.
- شَعَرْتُ بِدَهْشَةٍ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَةِ الهَدِيَّةِ.sha'artu bi-dahshatin 'inda ru'yati al-hadiyya.I felt surprise when I saw the gift.
Example conversation
Layla tells Ziad about a surprise party.
- ليلى Laylaهل أعجبتكَ الحفلةُ المفاجئةُ يا زياد؟Hal a'jabatka al-haflatu al-mufaji'atu ya Ziyad?Did you like the surprise party, Ziad?
- زياد Ziadنعم، كانت مفاجأةً رائعةً حقاً.Na'am, kanat mufaja'atan ra'i'atan haqqan.Yes, it was truly a wonderful surprise.
- ليلى Laylaلقد لاحظتُ دَهْشَةً على وجهِكَ.Laqad lahaztu dahshatan 'ala wajhika.I noticed surprise on your face.
- زياد Ziadلم أتوقع رؤية الجميعِ هنا.Lam atawaqqa' ru'yata al-jami' huna.I didn't expect to see everyone here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surprise” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
