Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| surpris |
| étonné |
The word is used to describe someone who has been caused to feel surprise.
Which one should you use?
While surpris means surprised, the form étonné often carries a stronger sense of being astonished or amazed by something unexpected.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the expression Je capote! is used to express extreme surprise and means "I'm flipping out!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes form based on gender and number: surpris is the masculine singular, surprise is the feminine singular and surpris is the masculine plural.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the final 's' in surpris. However, the final 's' is silent in the masculine singular form.
When do people say it?
To express surprise informally, you can use the interjections Incroyable! (Incredible!) or Quoi?! (What?!).
Did you know?
- In French, you can use the phrase tomber des nues to say you are surprised, which literally translates to 'falling from the clouds'.
- The expression être scotché is used informally to mean you are so surprised or amazed that you are 'stuck' to the spot.
- When someone is extremely surprised in France, they might use the expression Tu m'étonnes!, which ironically can mean 'You can say that again!' or 'I bet!' rather than expressing actual astonishment.
Examples in context
- Tom a été surpris.Tom was surprised.This sentence shows how to say Tom was surprised using surpris.Tatoeba #10064436 by Micsmithel, translation #3732431 by CK
- Je me suis surpris.I surprised myself.This sentence demonstrates the reflexive use of surpris.Tatoeba #4681672 by sacredceltic, translation #2247417 by CK
- Tu as l'air surpris.You look surprised.This sentence shows how to say someone looks surprised using surpris.Tatoeba #2097313 by sacredceltic, translation #2079850 by Spamster
- Lorsque j'ai entendu la nouvelle, j'ai été vraiment surpris(e) !When I heard the news, I was really surprised!
- La décision de l'entreprise est vraiment surprenante.The company's decision is really surprising.
- Wow, je suis complètement bluffé(e) par son talent pour la danse !Wow, I'm completely blown away by his/her talent for dancing!
- 572 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are talking about a surprise party.
- LéaNathan, es-tu surpris par la fête ?Nathan, are you surprised by the party?
- NathanOui, je suis vraiment très surpris !Yes, I am really very surprised!
- LéaJe suis contente que tu sois surpris.I am glad that you are surprised.
- NathanMerci pour tout, Léa.Thanks for everything, Léa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surprised” translations and entries surpris, étonné, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
