to amaze
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to amaze
To greatly surprise someone or fill them with wonder because something is unexpected or impressive.
Seine Fähigkeit, fünf Sprachen fließend zu sprechen, erstaunte die gesamte Prüfungskommission.
His ability to speak five languages fluently amazed the entire examination committee.
'Erstaunen' (to amaze) is an inseparable verb with the prefix 'er-'. This prefix turns the feeling 'staunen' (to be amazed) into an action that puts someone into that state: to amaze someone.
Ihre schnelle Auffassungsgabe erstaunt mich immer wieder.
Her quick comprehension amazes me again and again.
The verb 'erstaunen' (to amaze) is usually used transitively. The subject of the sentence is the cause of the surprise, and the person who is surprised is in the accusative.
Die Nachricht von seinem Rücktritt erstaunte die Öffentlichkeit.
The news of his resignation amazed the public.
Very often, the past participle 'erstaunt' (amazed) is used as an adjective with the verb 'sein' (to be). The construction is then: 'jemand ist erstaunt über' + accusative (someone is amazed about/by something).
Ich bin erstaunt über deine guten Noten in Mathe.
I am amazed by your good grades in math.
to surprise
'überraschen' and 'erstaunen' are close in meaning because both describe a reaction to something unexpected. 'überraschen' is the more general word and can be positive, neutral, or even unpleasant. 'erstaunen' puts more emphasis on amazement: you find something unusual, impressive, or hardly expected. The words can be confused because both often fit new information. If the only important point is that something was not expected, 'überraschen' fits. If the reaction is stronger and more like wonder or amazement, 'erstaunen' fits better.
Die Ruhe des kleinen Kindes erstaunt die Nachbarn.
The small child's calm amazes the neighbors.
Mara war nach der Nachricht über die Zusage überrascht.
Mara was surprised by the news of the acceptance.