die Überraschung
surprise
An unexpected event, piece of news, or gift.
EXAMPLE
Die Party war eine gelungene Überraschung für ihren Geburtstag.
The party was a successful surprise for her birthday.
die Überraschung
surprise
die Überraschung, die Überraschungen
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Meanings
die Überraschung
surprise
The feeling of astonishment caused by something unexpected.
EXAMPLE
Man konnte die pure Überraschung in seinem Gesicht sehen, als er das Geschenk öffnete.
You could see the pure surprise on his face when he opened the gift.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Überraschung, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Überraschungen |
| genitive | der Überraschung |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Überraschung | die Überraschungen |
| accusative | die Überraschung | die Überraschungen |
| dative | der Überraschung | den Überraschungen |
| genitive | der Überraschung | der Überraschungen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Überraschung' (the surprise) is the noun related to the verb 'überraschen' (to surprise). If you know the verb, you can easily derive the meaning of the noun, and vice versa.
EXAMPLE
Er wollte seine Freundin mit einer Reise nach Paris überraschen.
He wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a trip to Paris.
Typical collocations
When referring to an event, 'Überraschung' (surprise) is often combined with adjectives like 'gelungen' (successful), 'böse' (nasty), 'schön' (nice), or 'groß' (big). Typical verbs are 'vorbereiten' (to prepare), 'planen' (to plan), or 'erleben' (to experience).
EXAMPLE
Seine Abschiedsfeier war eine wirklich gelungene Überraschung.
His farewell party was a truly successful surprise.
Fixed expression
To express the feeling of astonishment, the fixed expression 'zu meiner/deiner/seiner Überraschung' (to my/your/his surprise) is often used. It usually appears at the beginning of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Zu meiner großen Überraschung hatte er das ganze Haus allein aufgeräumt.
To my great surprise, he had cleaned up the whole house by himself.
Compare with
Überraschung vs erstaunen
to amaze
“Die Überraschung” can refer to the unexpected event itself, while “erstaunen” expresses that this event causes someone to feel a strong sense of wonder. When talking about unexpected news, use “Überraschung” for the event and “erstaunen” for its effect on a person.
Überraschung
Die unerwartete Nachricht war für alle eine große Überraschung.
The unexpected news was a big surprise for everyone.
erstaunen
Die unerwartete Nachricht erstaunte alle im Büro.
The unexpected news amazed everyone in the office.
In real life
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