meglepetés

Meglepetés is a Hungarian noun that translates roughly as “surprise” in English. It denotes both the emotional experience of being surprised and an event or object intended to surprise someone, such as a surprise party, a surprise gift, or a surprise visit.

The word is formed from the verb meglepni, meaning “to surprise,” with a nominalizing suffix that yields the concept of “the act or state of surprising.” Related forms include meglepő (adjective: surprising) and meglepetésként (as a surprise).

In everyday language meglepetés can describe genuine astonishment or the planned intention to astonish. Common collocations include meglepetés ajándék (surprise gift) and meglepetés vendég (surprise guest), and meglepetés esemény (surprise event) in colloquial speech. The term also appears in advertising and media to signal a promotional or unforeseen element.

Related terms include meglepő (adjective, surprising) and meglepni (to surprise). In Hungarian culture, the concept of a surprise is commonly used in celebrations and social rituals, and the word appears across daily language, media, and marketing.