astonishment
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astonishment
The feeling of amazement or surprise about something unexpected or difficult to understand.
Zu meiner großen Verwunderung stand er plötzlich vor der Tür.
To my great astonishment, he suddenly stood at the door.
The noun 'Verwunderung' (astonishment) belongs to the verb 'sich verwundern' (to be astonished). Both words have their origin in the word 'das Wunder' (miracle/wonder). This connection helps you understand the meaning of amazement at something unexpected.
Es ist kein Wunder, dass er müde ist.
It's no wonder that he is tired.
A very common and useful expression is 'zu meiner/deiner/seiner Verwunderung' (to my/your/his astonishment). It introduces a sentence that describes what the surprising thing was.
Zu meiner Verwunderung war das Büro am Sonntagmorgen hell erleuchtet.
To my astonishment, the office was brightly lit on Sunday morning.
To state the reason for the astonishment, you use the preposition 'über' (about/at) with the accusative.
Die Verwunderung über seine plötzliche Kündigung war groß.
The astonishment at his sudden resignation was great.
'Verwunderung' (astonishment) is often combined with adjectives such as 'groß' (great), 'echt' (genuine), or 'kaum verborgen' (barely hidden). Typical verbs are 'Verwunderung auslösen' (to cause astonishment), 'hervorrufen' (to evoke), or 'zeigen' (to show).
Sein Verhalten löste bei allen Anwesenden große Verwunderung aus.
His behavior caused great astonishment among everyone present.
surprise
When referring to unexpected news, “die Überraschung” mainly describes the unexpected event or the initial surprise it causes. “Die Verwunderung” places more emphasis on the fact that something is puzzling or difficult to understand. Use “Überraschung” when something is merely unexpected, and “Verwunderung” when it also raises a question or creates uncertainty.
Die widersprüchliche Nachricht löste bei mir große Verwunderung aus.
The contradictory news caused me great astonishment.
Die Nachricht über den Besuch war für mich eine schöne Überraschung.
The news about the visit was a pleasant surprise for me.
