Sorprender is a regular -er verb in Spanish.
Practice sorprender free →Sorprender means 'to surprise', and it is a regular -er verb that often works like gustar — the thing that surprises is the subject. Me sorprende su actitud (his attitude surprises me). The reflexive sorprenderse means 'to be surprised': me sorprendí al verlo (I was surprised to see him). Because reactions and the unexpected add interest to narrative and opinion writing, sorprender is a useful, slightly higher-level verb. As a regular -er verb the conjugation is predictable, and the related noun una sorpresa ('a surprise') is everyday vocabulary.
Quick facts
Sorprender (to surprise) is a regular -er verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Me sorprende su actitud (his attitude surprises me).
Reflexive sorprenderse: me sorprendí.
Adds the unexpected to stories.
Una sorpresa (a surprise).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
Sorprender is a regular verb. Make sure you know the endings for each tense — especially the preterite and subjunctive, which is where marks are most often lost.
sorprender is a regular -er verb — it follows the standard -er pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know sorprender, you know the template for all regular -er verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice sorprender now →Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.
yo: sorprendo, tú: sorprendes, él: sorprende, nosotros: sorprendemos, vosotros: sorprendéis, ellos: sorprenden
Sorprender is a regular -er verb following the standard -er pattern.
Use sorprender in multiple tenses to show range — present, preterite and future at minimum. This is a key criterion for higher GCSE marks.
Verbs that are easy to confuse with sorprender or that behave like it.
This reference is written for UK GCSE and A-Level Spanish learners and their teachers. It is designed for exam revision: every form is checked against standard conjugation rules, and the examples reflect the registers and topics that come up in the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas specifications. Sorprender is a high-frequency verb and appears often in exam papers. For active recall, use the free practice tool rather than only reading the tables.
Last updated 2 August 2026. Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.