verwundern

Verwundern is a German verb meaning to astonish, surprise, or to cause astonishment. It is not related to verwunden, which means to wound; both share a similar prefix, but verwundern conveys a cognitive or emotional reaction rather than a physical one. The word is commonly used to describe something that provokes surprise in people or in a broader context.

Grammatically, verwundern is transitive. The thing that causes the astonishment is the subject, and the person or group who is astonished is the object in the accusative. In neutral or impersonal constructions the sentence often begins with es: Es wundert mich, dass … or Es hat mich verwundert, dass …. The verb can also appear in the finite form as Der Bericht hat die Öffentlichkeit verwundert. The past participle is verwundert, as in Es hat mich verwundert.

Usage and nuance: verwundern is relatively formal and is frequently found in journalism, essays, or formal speech. It is closely related to the verbs erstaunen and überraschen, but verwundern emphasizes a sense of genuine astonishment rather than mere surprise. A related adjective is verwunderlich, meaning surprising or astonishing; one can say Es ist verwunderlich, dass … to express that something is surprising.

Etymology and related forms: the prefix ver- attached to Wunder (wonder) yields a sense of causing or provoking wonder. It should not be confused with the verb verwunden (to wound). Related constructions include sich wundern (to wonder or be surprised) and der Umgang mit ähnlichen Ausdrücken wie erstaunen oder überraschen.

See also: erstaunen, überraschen, verwunderlich.