to surprise
Loading your saved state.
to surprise
To give someone a (usually positive) treat or joy through something unexpected.
Er hat seine Frau zum Geburtstag mit einer Reise nach Paris überrascht.
He surprised his wife for her birthday with a trip to Paris.
The verb 'überraschen' (to surprise) is inseparable. The prefix 'über-' remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and tenses.
Ich überrasche meine Familie gern mit einem Kuchen.
I like surprising my family with a cake.
If you want to say what someone uses to bring joy or make a surprise, use the preposition 'mit' followed by the dative.
Sie hat ihn mit einem selbst gemalten Bild überrascht.
She surprised him with a picture she had painted herself.
In the meaning 'to astonish,' the impersonal structure 'Es überrascht mich/dich/ihn, dass ...' (It surprises me/you/him that ...) is often used. This is a very common and useful formulation.
Es überrascht mich, dass das Restaurant heute so leer ist.
It surprises me that the restaurant is so empty today.
In this neutral or negative meaning, the subject of the sentence is often an impersonal event, such as the weather, a piece of news, or a situation, and not a person acting actively.
Der frühe Wintereinbruch hat die Dorfbewohner überrascht.
The early onset of winter caught the villagers by surprise.
to concern / affect
'überraschen' and 'betreffen' can both trigger a reaction in a person. 'überraschen' means that something is unexpected and catches someone unprepared or amazes them. In this relation, 'betreffen' means more that something touches someone inwardly, makes them sad, or makes them thoughtful. The rare meaning of 'betreffen' in the sense of 'to catch someone in the act' is closer to 'überraschen', but it is not very common today. The words can be confused because both have to do with an effect on a person. As a practical rule: something unexpected is 'überraschend' (surprising); something emotionally important or sad is more likely 'betreffend' or 'betroffen machend' (affecting / moving).
Die schnelle Antwort der Firma hat mich wirklich überrascht.
The company's quick reply really surprised me.
Die Nachricht vom Unfall hat Max sehr betroffen.
The news of the accident affected Max deeply.