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How to Say ‘To surprise someone’ in Italian

Fare una sorpresa

FAHR-ay OO-nah sor-PREH-zah

[FAHR-ay OO-nah sor-PREH-zah]

💬 Usage Tip: The person you surprise takes a: fare una sorpresa a mia madre "to surprise my mother".

Phrase Breakdown

Fare

[FAHR-ay]

To make

Used when creating or arranging something.

Example

Devo fare una prenotazione in anticipo.

I need to make a reservation in advance.

una

[OO-nah]

Feminine singular indefinite article before a feminine noun.

Example

Ho lavorato in una piccola azienda.

I worked in a small company.

sorpresa

[sor-PREH-zah]

surprise

Something unexpected and pleasant, common for birthdays or anniversaries.

Example

La torta arriva come una sorpresa a fine cena.

The cake arrives as a surprise at the end of dinner.

Guides for Italian learners

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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