Sorprenden

Sorprenden is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb sorprender, meaning to cause surprise in someone or something. It is used with the subjects ellos, ellas, or ustedes, to indicate that “they surprise” or “you all surprise.” In the present tense, sorprender is regular for its conjugation, with forms such as sorprendo, sorprendes, sorprende, sorprendemos, sorprendéis, sorprenden.

In usage, the verb typically takes a direct object representing the thing that provokes the surprise, while the person who experiences the surprise is shown with an indirect object pronoun. For example: Las noticias sorprenden a todos (The news surprises everyone). Me sorprenden tus ideas (I’m surprised by your ideas). A ellos les sorprenden los resultados (The results surprise them). Question forms can also appear: ¿Qué te sorprende de ese resultado? (What about that result surprises you?).

Sorprender is versatile in everyday language and in journalism or narrative, often signaling notable or unexpected reactions to events, findings, or statements. The form sorprenden specifically highlights a plural subject as the source of the surprise, whether speaking about a group in general or about a collective you (ustedes) in many Spanish-speaking regions.