Introduction
Sorprenderse means “to be surprised”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Sorprenderse means to be surprised, and it is the reflexive verb for the feeling of surprise: sorprenderse con la noticia, sorprenderse de ver a alguien. It takes con or de. It is fully regular, and its non-reflexive partner sorprender means to surprise someone else. This page shows sorprenderse in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” — I be surprised at the news of the prize.
Sorprenderse in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how sorprenderse is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use sorprenderse in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” — I be surprised at the news of the prize.
“¿Te sorprendes de ver a su hermano?” — Do you be surprised at seeing her brother?
“Se sorprende mucho con el regalo.” — He/she is surprised a lot with the present.
“Nosotros nos sorprendemos al abrir la puerta.” — We be surprised on opening the door.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show sorprenderse in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo me sorprendí con la noticia del premio.” — Yesterday, I was surprised at the news of the prize. (preterite)
“Antes, él se sorprendía de ver a su hermano.” — Before, he used to be surprised at seeing her brother. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of sorprenderse stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros nos sorprenderemos mucho con el regalo.” — Tomorrow, we will be surprised a lot with the present. (future)
“¿Tú te has sorprendido al abrir la puerta?” — Have you been surprised on opening the door? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros os sorprendéis con la noticia del premio.” — You be surprised at the news of the prize.
“Ellos se sorprenden de ver a su hermano.” — They be surprised at seeing her brother.
“Yo me sorprendo mucho con el regalo.” — I be surprised a lot with the present.
“Mi padre se sorprende al abrir la puerta.” — My father is surprised on opening the door.
Sorprenderse in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how sorprenderse appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú te sorprendes de ver a su hermano?” — Do you be surprised at seeing her brother?
Pedro: “Sí, yo me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” — Yes, I be surprised at the news of the prize.
Marta: “Nosotros nos sorprendemos al abrir la puerta.” — We be surprised on opening the door.
Pedro: “Y ellos se sorprenden de ver a su hermano.” — And they be surprised at seeing her brother.
Marta: “Vosotros os sorprendéis mucho con el regalo.” — You be surprised a lot with the present.
Pedro: “Sí, y él se sorprende con la noticia del premio.” — Yes, and he is surprised at the news of the prize.
A short paragraph
Se sorprende con la noticia del premio, y nosotros nos sorprendemos al abrir la puerta. Yo me sorprendo de ver a su hermano, y ellos se sorprenden mucho con el regalo. Sorprenderse is part of everyday life, because be surprised is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with sorprenderse
These are the errors learners actually make with sorprenderse. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” Right: “Yo me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” Why: Sorprenderse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sorprendo de ver a su hermano.” Right: “Ayer yo sorprendí de ver a su hermano.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: sorprendo is happening now, while sorprendí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating sorprenderse and sorprender as identical in every context.” Right: “Sorprenderse means to be surprised, while sorprender means to surprise someone else.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sorprenderse fits sentences such as Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio, while sorprender belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy sorprendido de ver a su hermano.” Right: “Yo he sorprendido de ver a su hermano.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sorprendido, has sorprendido, ha sorprendido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo sorprendí mucho con el regalo todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo sorprendía mucho con el regalo todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sorprendía), not the preterite. The preterite (sorprendí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: sorprenderse in use
Ten questions on sorprenderse in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ con la noticia del premio.” (You be surprised at the news of the prize.)
- (a) os sorprendéis
- (b) me sorprendo
- (c) te sorprendes
Answer: os sorprendéis — The vosotros/as form of sorprenderse in the present tense is os sorprendéis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ de ver a su hermano.” (They be surprised at seeing her brother.)
- (a) te sorprendes
- (b) se sorprenden
- (c) me sorprendo
Answer: se sorprenden — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sorprenderse in the present tense is se sorprenden.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ con la noticia del premio.” (Yesterday I was surprised at the news of the prize.)
- (a) te sorprendiste
- (b) se sorprendió
- (c) me sorprendí
Answer: me sorprendí — In the preterite, the yo form of sorprenderse is me sorprendí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ de ver a su hermano.” (Before, he used to be surprised at seeing her brother.)
- (a) se sorprendía
- (b) me sorprendo
- (c) te sorprendías
Answer: se sorprendía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of sorprenderse is se sorprendía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ mucho con el regalo.” (Tomorrow we will be surprised a lot with the present.)
- (a) te sorprenderás
- (b) nos sorprenderemos
- (c) me sorprenderé
Answer: nos sorprenderemos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of sorprenderse is nos sorprenderemos.
6. What does sorprenderse mean in English?
- (a) to be surprised
- (b) to abstain
- (c) to surprise someone else
Answer: to be surprised — Sorprenderse means “to be surprised”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo sorprendo con la noticia del premio.
- (b) Ellos se sorprende de ver a su hermano.
- (c) Yo me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.
Answer: Yo me sorprendo con la noticia del premio. — “Yo me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I be surprised at the news of the prize.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre se sorprende al abrir la puerta.
- (b) Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.
- (c) Se sorprenden con la noticia del premio.
Answer: Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio. — “Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of sorprenderse in the present tense?
- (a) me sorprendo
- (b) te sorprendes
- (c) nos sorprendemos
Answer: nos sorprendemos — The nosotros form is nos sorprendemos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros nos sorprenderemos mucho con el regalo.
- (b) Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.
- (c) Ayer, yo me sorprendí con la noticia del premio.
Answer: Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio. — “Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I be surprised at the news of the prize' in Spanish?
Say 'Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio todos los días'.
How do you say 'He is surprised at seeing her brother' in Spanish?
Say 'Él se sorprende de ver a su hermano'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes se sorprende.
What is the difference between sorprenderse and sorprender?
Sorprenderse means to be surprised, while sorprender means to surprise someone else. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sorprenderse when you mean to be surprised, as in 'Me sorprendo con la noticia del premio', and use sorprender for to surprise someone else.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sorprenderse — every tense of sorprenderse in one place.
- Sorprenderse in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on sorprenderse and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of sorprenderse until they are automatic.