astonishment
das Erstaunen
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astonishment
The feeling that arises when something is unexpected or unusual and therefore surprises you.
Sein Erstaunen über die unerwartete Nachricht war deutlich zu sehen.
His astonishment at the unexpected news was clearly visible.
to someone's astonishment
A fixed expression meaning that something happens or is discovered in a surprising way for someone.
Zu meinem Erstaunen konnte das kleine Kind schon ganz allein lesen.
To my astonishment, the small child could already read completely on their own.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Erstaunens |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Erstaunen | – |
| accusative | das Erstaunen | – |
| dative | dem Erstaunen | – |
| genitive | des Erstaunens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Erstaunen' (astonishment) belongs to the word family of 'erstaunen' (to astonish) and 'erstaunt' (astonished). The ending '-en' indicates a nominalized verb form here; the word therefore refers to being astonished as a feeling or process.
Erstaunt hörte sie zu, und ihr Erstaunen wuchs mit jedem Satz.
She listened in astonishment, and her astonishment grew with every sentence.
Common collocations with 'Erstaunen' (astonishment) include 'Erstaunen zeigen' (to show astonishment), 'Erstaunen auslösen' (to cause astonishment), and 'jemanden in Erstaunen versetzen' (to astonish someone). It is also often stated what someone is astonished about, using 'über' (about) with the accusative.
Die unerwartete Entscheidung löste bei den Mitarbeitenden großes Erstaunen aus.
The unexpected decision caused great astonishment among the employees.
In the expression 'zu jemandes Erstaunen' (to someone's astonishment), the possessive determiner indicates for whom something is surprising. When the expression appears at the beginning of a sentence, the finite verb follows directly afterward.
Zu ihrem Erstaunen war die schwierige Aufgabe schon nach wenigen Minuten gelöst.
To her astonishment, the difficult task had already been completed after just a few minutes.
