sorpresa
/soɾˈpɾesa/feminine
The Spanish word for surprise is sorpresa.
sorpresa is a noun used to describe the feeling that something unexpected has happened.
Meaning: feeling that something unexpected has happened (noun)
Which one should you use?
sorpresa is the noun for the feeling of surprise, whereas sorprendido is the adjective used to describe a person who is feeling surprised.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can use ¡Es una locura! to replace ¡Increíble! In Spain, the phrase ¡Me has dejado flipado/a! can be used instead of ¡Me dejaste boquiabierto/a!
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
sorpresa is a feminine noun. Because of this, the feminine indefinite article una is used to say una sorpresa (a surprise). The plural form of the word is sorpresas.
How do you pronounce it?
/soɾˈpɾesa/
When do people say it?
For informal ways to express surprise, you can say ¡Me dejaste boquiabierto/a! to mean 'You left me speechless!' or ¡Esto es una pasada! to mean 'This is amazing!'
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, una sorpresa is used as a common euphemism for an unplanned pregnancy.
- In Spanish, the verb sorprender can be used to describe a sudden change in weather, such as a rainstorm that catches you off guard.
- The word sorpresa was borrowed into Spanish from the French word 'surprise'.
Examples in context
- Fue una gran sorpresa.It was a big surprise.This sentence shows how to use sorpresa to describe a big surprise.Tatoeba #3566751 by ficion, translation #3315017 by CK
- ¡Dios mío, qué sorpresa!Oh my god, what a surprise!This sentence shows an exclamation using sorpresa.Tatoeba #1286490 by hayastan, translation #12978969 by araneo
- Quiero que sea sorpresa.I want it to be a surprise.This sentence uses sorpresa to express a desire for something to be a surprise.Tatoeba #3805311 by cueyayotl, translation #2724700 by Hybrid
- ¡Qué sorpresa verlo/a aquí!What a surprise to see you here!
- ¡Me dejaste boquiabierto/a con esta fiesta sorpresa!You left me speechless with this surprise party!
- No puedo creer lo increíble que estuvo el concierto.I can't believe how amazing the concert was.
- 100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía welcomes Javier home unexpectedly.
- Lucía¡Hola, Javier! ¿Qué sorpresa!Hello, Javier! What a surprise!
- JavierNo sabía que estabas aquí.I didn't know you were here.
- LucíaQuería darte una sorpresa.I wanted to give you a surprise.
- JavierMe encanta la sorpresa, Lucía.I love the surprise, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surprise” translations and entries sorpresa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sorpresa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
