Meaning
to surprise
- to surprise, to astonish
- to catch in the act, to catch unaware
In a sentence
Mi sorprende sempre la tua calma.
Your calm always surprises me.
Ti ha sorpreso la notizia di ieri?
Did yesterday's news surprise you?
La pioggia ci ha sorpresi mentre tornavamo a casa.
The rain caught us by surprise as we were walking home.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sorprendere | infinitive |
| sorprendiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorprendo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendete | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprendi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprendono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprende | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprendevamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sorprendevo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendevate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprendevi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprendevano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprendeva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprendemmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sorpresi | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendeste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprendesti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sorpresero | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprese | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprenderemo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sorprenderò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sorprenderete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprenderai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprenderanno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprenderà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprendiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorprenda | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprenda | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprendano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprenda | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprendessimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sorprendessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendeste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprendessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprendessero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprendesse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprenderemmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorprenderei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorprendereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprenderesti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprenderebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorprenderebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorprendiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sorprendete | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sorprendi | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sorprendendo | gerund |
| sorpreso | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use sorprendere for both pleasant and unpleasant surprises; stupire leans more toward amazement, while cogliere di sorpresa stresses being caught off guard.
- Very common pattern: sorprendere qualcuno a fare qualcosa = catch someone doing something.
- In compound tenses it usually takes avere: ho sorpreso Marco. Past participle agrees only when used adjectivally: una notizia sorprendente.
- past participle sorpreso