Surprise in Different Languages
Discover 'Surprise' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'surprise' holds a special place in our hearts and languages, capturing the essence of the unexpected and the joy of discovery. Its significance extends beyond mere language, as it represents a universal human experience that transcends cultural boundaries. From a sudden gift on a special occasion to an unforeseen twist in a story, surprises have the power to bring excitement, delight, and even confusion to our lives.
Throughout history, surprises have played a crucial role in various cultural contexts. In literature, plot twists and unexpected revelations keep readers on the edge of their seats. In gaming, surprises add an element of unpredictability, enhancing the overall experience. Surprises can also be found in nature, as when a rare phenomenon occurs or when we stumble upon a hidden gem in our travels.
Given its importance and cultural significance, you might be interested in learning how to say 'surprise' in different languages. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- French: surprise
- Spanish: sorpresa
- German: Überraschung
- Italian: sorpresa
- Japanese: 驚き (odoroki)
Surprise
Surprise in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verras | ||
| "Verras" is derived from the Dutch word "verrassen", meaning "to surprise" or "to overtake by surprise". | |||
| Amharic | መደነቅ | ||
| The word "መደነቅ” comes from the root 'ደነቅ' which means 'to be strange or unusual'. | |||
| Hausa | mamaki | ||
| In Hausa, the word "mamaki" originates from the root word "mamako" meaning "to be struck by wonder or amazement". | |||
| Igbo | ihe ijuanya | ||
| In Igbo, the word "ihe ijuanya" can also mean "a wonderful or amazing thing". | |||
| Malagasy | tsy nampoizina | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "tsy nampoizina" is a noun meaning "surprise," but it is also an expression meaning "without knowing it." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kudabwa | ||
| The word "kudabwa" in Nyanja can also mean "to happen" or "to occur." | |||
| Shona | kushamisika | ||
| The word 'kushamisika' also means 'to be frightened' or 'to be startled'. | |||
| Somali | layaab | ||
| The word "layaab" can also refer to an unexpected event or an occurrence that is not easily explained. | |||
| Sesotho | makatsa | ||
| In some instances, 'makatsa' can also translate as 'be taken by surprise', 'startled', 'shocked', 'amazed', 'astonished', 'surprised to an extreme degree', 'gobsmacked', 'floored', 'discombobulated', or 'flabbergasted'. | |||
| Swahili | mshangao | ||
| Mshangao can also mean 'a spectacle' or 'an unexpected event', which reveals the word's close semantic relationship to its root 'shangaza', meaning 'to be astonished' or 'to be amazed'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukumangaliswa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukumangaliswa" can also mean "a wonder" or "a marvel." | |||
| Yoruba | iyalenu | ||
| "Iyale" in Yoruba means a family house, so "iyalenu" can also represent something that happens unexpectedly in the family house. | |||
| Zulu | ukumangala | ||
| The word "ukumangala" in Zulu can also mean "a sudden attack" or "an unexpected event". | |||
| Bambara | bala | ||
| Ewe | si do le kpome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutungurwa | ||
| Lingala | kokamwisa | ||
| Luganda | okuzinduukiriza | ||
| Sepedi | makatša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nwanwa | ||
Surprise in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مفاجأة | ||
| The word مفاجأة derives from the root ف-ج-أ which means to attack suddenly. | |||
| Hebrew | הַפתָעָה | ||
| The verb הפתיע (hipti'a) in Hebrew means to suddenly attack, to ambush, or to capture by surprise. | |||
| Pashto | حیرانتیا | ||
| حیرانتیا can also means "astonishment" or "bewilderment" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مفاجأة | ||
| The word مفاجأة derives from the root ف-ج-أ which means to attack suddenly. | |||
Surprise in Western European Languages
| Albanian | befasi | ||
| The Albanian word "befasi" comes from the Turkish "befazet", which means "to be astonished". | |||
| Basque | sorpresa | ||
| The word "sorpresa" in Basque is derived from the Latin "subripere", which means "to snatch away". | |||
| Catalan | sorpresa | ||
| "Sorpresa" in Catalan can also mean "unexpectedly" or "by chance". | |||
| Croatian | iznenađenje | ||
| Iznenađenje originates from the verb 'iznenaditi' 'to take by surprise', whose root 'nenad' means 'something unexpected'. | |||
| Danish | overraskelse | ||
| The word "overraskelse" likely stems from the Old Norse "yfirraskan" meaning "to attack with great force". | |||
| Dutch | verrassing | ||
| Verrassing, meaning surprise in Dutch, comes from the same Proto-Germanic root "war" as English surprise or wary and can also refer to the verb to stir or turn; a verb that can be applied to water, liquids, or thoughts. | |||
| English | surprise | ||
| The word "surprise" derives from the Middle French word "surprisse," meaning "to seize" or "to attack unexpectedly." | |||
| French | surprise | ||
| In French, the word "surprise" also means "overwhelm" or "astonishment". | |||
| Frisian | ferrassing | ||
| The word 'ferrassing' is a blend of the Frisian words 'fer' ('very') and 'rassing' ('quick'). | |||
| Galician | sorpresa | ||
| In Galician, "sorpresa" can also mean "a sudden and unexpected event" or "a piece of surprising news". | |||
| German | überraschung | ||
| Cognates of the German word 'Überraschung' include the English 'overreach' and 'surprise'. | |||
| Icelandic | koma á óvart | ||
| "Koma á óvart" literally translates to "come upon unaware". | |||
| Irish | iontas | ||
| "Iontas" also means "expectation" or "expectation of something that may or may not happen" in Irish | |||
| Italian | sorpresa | ||
| The word "sorpresa" can also mean "overtaking" or "ambush" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | iwwerraschen | ||
| The word 'iwwerraschen' is derived from the Old French word 'sorprendre' with the same meaning, which in turn is ultimately derived from the Latin 'subripere' meaning 'to steal'. | |||
| Maltese | sorpriża | ||
| Maltese 'sorpriża' comes from French 'surprise' and is related to Italian 'sorpresa', sharing the root word 'surprendre', meaning to catch unexpectedly. | |||
| Norwegian | overraskelse | ||
| "Overraskelse" is derived from Dutch "overraschen" and means "catch unawares," implying a negative rather than positive sense. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | surpresa | ||
| The word "surpresa" comes from the Old Occitan "sobrepresa" and the Old French "surprise", both derived from the Latin "superprisus" meaning "taken or caught unaware". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iongnadh | ||
| "Iongnadh" in Scots Gaelic originally referred to a "marvel" or "wonder," and only came to mean "surprise" in the 18th century. | |||
| Spanish | sorpresa | ||
| The term "sorpresa" also refers to an unexpected situation in which one finds oneself without having sought it. | |||
| Swedish | överraskning | ||
| In Swedish, "överraskning" also refers to a pleasant incident or unexpected gift. | |||
| Welsh | syndod | ||
| Although 'syndod' now means 'surprise', it was once used in the sense of 'gift'. | |||
Surprise in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | здзіўленне | ||
| The word "здзіўленне" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*divъ", meaning "wonder" or "miracle". | |||
| Bosnian | iznenađenje | ||
| Bosnian 'iznenađenje' comes from Turkish 'şaşırtmak' (to surprise or amaze) and shares cognates with the word 'astonish'. | |||
| Bulgarian | изненада | ||
| The word "изненада" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "изъ" (out) and "ненада" (unexpected). | |||
| Czech | překvapení | ||
| The Czech word "překvapení" also means "an act of surprising someone". | |||
| Estonian | üllatus | ||
| Üllatus is also the Estonian word for "thunder" and is derived from the verb "ülbama," meaning "to thunder". | |||
| Finnish | yllätys | ||
| "Yllätys" can also refer to a sudden change in weather in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | meglepetés | ||
| 'Meg' means 'again' and 'lep' means 'to steal'. So the word literally means 'to be stolen back', indicating the unexpected nature of surprise. | |||
| Latvian | pārsteigums | ||
| The Latvian word "pārsteigums" originates from the verb "steigt", meaning "to rise, to go up" and the prefix "pār-", meaning "over, above, across". | |||
| Lithuanian | staigmena | ||
| The word "staigmena" in Lithuanian is derived from the word "staigti," meaning "to rise, to stand," and also refers to a sudden rise or change. | |||
| Macedonian | изненадување | ||
| Polish | niespodzianka | ||
| In Polish, the word "niespodzianka" can also mean a "gift" or a "treat". | |||
| Romanian | surprinde | ||
| The Romanian word "surprinde" ultimately derives from the French word "prendre" (meaning "to take") and originally meant "to catch someone in the act". | |||
| Russian | сюрприз | ||
| Сюрприз (surprise) derives from the French word 'surprise' and is also used in Russian to refer to a 'gift' or 'unexpected event'. | |||
| Serbian | изненађење | ||
| Изненађење relates to a word implying 'to know' or 'to perceive' and also carries the connotation of 'unexpectedness'. | |||
| Slovak | prekvapenie | ||
| The word "prekvapenie" (surprise) derives from the verb "prekvapiť" (to surprise), which in turn comes from the Old Slavic word "prěkvapa" (ambush, sudden attack). | |||
| Slovenian | presenečenje | ||
| The Slovenian word "presenečenje" is ultimately of Slavic origin, and is related to words such as "surprise," "present," and "presence" in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | сюрприз | ||
| In Ukrainian, "сюрприз" can also mean "a prank". | |||
Surprise in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আশ্চর্য | ||
| "আশ্চর্য" comes from the Sanskrit word "aścarya", which means "wonderful, marvelous, or surprising". | |||
| Gujarati | આશ્ચર્ય | ||
| The Gujarati word "આશ્ચર્ય" comes from the Sanskrit word "आश्चर्य" (āścarya), which means both "surprise" and "wonder". | |||
| Hindi | आश्चर्य | ||
| The word "आश्चर्य" in Hindi derives from Sanskrit and has the alternate meaning of "wonder". | |||
| Kannada | ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ | ||
| In Kannada, 'ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ' not only means 'surprise' but also has meanings like 'wonder', 'amazement', 'astonishment', and 'marvel'. | |||
| Malayalam | ആശ്ചര്യം | ||
| "ആശ്ചര്യം" also refers to wonder, awe, amazement or astonishment, depending on the context. | |||
| Marathi | आश्चर्य | ||
| आश्चर्य (āścarya) is also used to express the concept of 'miracle' or 'wonder' in Marathi | |||
| Nepali | अचम्म | ||
| The word "अचम्म" originally meant "wonder" and was derived from "चमत्कार," which means a miracle. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੈਰਾਨੀ | ||
| The word "हैरान" originated from the same root as "confusion", hinting at the complex and unexpected emotions it evokes. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුදුමය | ||
| The Sinhala word "පුදුමය" also refers to "the ability to see spirits" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "adbhutha". | |||
| Tamil | ஆச்சரியம் | ||
| "ஆச்சரியம்" comes from the root "அசிர்" (wonder), indicating a reaction to something that evokes amazement. | |||
| Telugu | ఆశ్చర్యం | ||
| Urdu | حیرت | ||
| "حیرت" not only means "surprise", but also, in its original sense, "bewilderment", "confusion", "perplexity", or "astonishment." | |||
Surprise in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 吃惊 | ||
| "吃惊'(surprise) in Chinese comes from '吃' (eat) and '惊'(fright), and it refers to the feeling of being so shocked that your jaw drops | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 吃驚 | ||
| 吃驚 is also an idiom in modern Chinese, which means to be very shocked or astounded. | |||
| Japanese | 驚き | ||
| 驚き literally translates to mean either "sudden movement" or "to stir up". | |||
| Korean | 놀라다 | ||
| The word “놀라다” derives from the Middle Korean word “놀라”, meaning "to tremble" or "to shake." | |||
| Mongolian | гэнэтийн зүйл | ||
| Гэнэтийн зүйл is a Mongolian phrase that can also mean a sudden event or an unexpected happening. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အံ့သြစရာ | ||
Surprise in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengherankan | ||
| "Mengerankan" in Indonesian comes from the root word "heran," which means "astonished" and can also refer to a "riddle." | |||
| Javanese | kaget | ||
| 'Kaget' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'khēda' meaning 'sorrow, trouble, or fatigue'. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្ញាក់ផ្អើល | ||
| Lao | ແປກໃຈ | ||
| Malay | kejutan | ||
| The word kejutan also has another meaning, which is "secret" (especially in the context of a plan or intention). | |||
| Thai | แปลกใจ | ||
| The Thai word "แปลกใจ" can also mean "interesting" or "unusual." | |||
| Vietnamese | sự ngạc nhiên | ||
| In the south, "sự ngạc nhiên" can also mean "regrets" and is often used in "có gì ngạc nhiên?", which means "it is expected that something happened that way and nothing is surprising." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sorpresa | ||
Surprise in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sürpriz | ||
| The word "sürpriz" in Azerbaijani can also mean "an unexpected event or occurrence". | |||
| Kazakh | тосын сый | ||
| The word "тосын сый" can also mean "unexpected gift" or "unforeseen event" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сюрприз | ||
| "Сюрприз" (surprise) is a noun in Kyrgyz, derived from the Russian "сюрприз". The Turkish equivalent is "sürpriz". The origin is most likely the French word "surprise". | |||
| Tajik | ҳайрон шудан | ||
| The word "ҳайрон шудан" is derived from the Persian word "ḥayrān" and is also commonly used in Dari, with slightly different meanings and usage. | |||
| Turkmen | geň galdyryjy | ||
| Uzbek | ajablanib | ||
| The word "ajablanib" is derived from the Arabic word "ajab" (wonder, amazement), and also means "to be astonished" or "to be amazed". | |||
| Uyghur | ھەيران قالارلىق | ||
Surprise in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pūʻiwa | ||
| Pūʻiwa is derived from the word pūʻi, which refers to a pimple or swelling on the skin, and is also used to describe something that is unexpected or sudden. | |||
| Maori | ohorere | ||
| The Maori word "ohorere" also means "to be astonished" or "to be amazed". | |||
| Samoan | teʻi | ||
| "Teʻi" can also mean to be stunned, bewildered, or amazed. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sorpresa | ||
| The Tagalog word "sorpresa" can also refer to a present or a gift, and is derived from the Spanish word "sorpresa". | |||
Surprise in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | akatjamata | ||
| Guarani | oñeha'ãrõ'ỹva | ||
Surprise in International Languages
| Esperanto | surprizo | ||
| The Esperanto word 'surprizo' is derived from the French word 'surprise', meaning 'astonishment'. | |||
| Latin | mirum | ||
| The word "mirum" also means "wonderful" or "strange" and is the root of the English word "miracle". | |||
Surprise in Others Languages
| Greek | έκπληξη | ||
| The word έκπληξη is derived from the verb εκπλήσσω, meaning "to fill with amazement or awe". | |||
| Hmong | ceeb | ||
| "Ceeb" originated in the Hmong-Mien languages and is a term of endearment used for babies and children. | |||
| Kurdish | nişkeşayî | ||
| Etymology unknown, perhaps of onomatopoetic origin. | |||
| Turkish | sürpriz | ||
| Sürpriz's Persian root means 'to please', whereas in Turkish it is often used for something unexpected. | |||
| Xhosa | ukumangaliswa | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukumangaliswa" can also mean "a wonder" or "a marvel." | |||
| Yiddish | יבערראַשן | ||
| The Yiddish word "יִבערראַשן" ("surprise") is derived from the German word "überraschen" with the same meaning. | |||
| Zulu | ukumangala | ||
| The word "ukumangala" in Zulu can also mean "a sudden attack" or "an unexpected event". | |||
| Assamese | আচৰিত কৰা | ||
| Aymara | akatjamata | ||
| Bhojpuri | अचरज | ||
| Dhivehi | ސަރޕްރައިޒް | ||
| Dogri | रहान करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sorpresa | ||
| Guarani | oñeha'ãrõ'ỹva | ||
| Ilocano | siddaaw | ||
| Krio | sɔprayz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سوپرایس | ||
| Maithili | आश्चर्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | mak ti | ||
| Oromo | wanta hinyaadamin namaa gochuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | sorpresa | ||
| Sanskrit | आश्चर्य | ||
| Tatar | сюрприз | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘይተሓሰበ | ||
| Tsonga | xihlamariso | ||