verb
to surprise, to astonish
B1
Überraschen: means 'to surprise' or 'to astonish' someone. Regular weak verb; auxiliary 'haben'; past participle 'überrascht'. Non‑reflexive and not separable. Commonly used transitively (jemanden überraschen) and in expressions like 'zu meiner/seiner Überraschung' to indicate unexpected outcomes. Also used in passive: 'er wurde überrascht'.
Examples
Ich überrasche dich mit einem Geschenk.
I'll surprise you with a gift.
Es wird dich überraschen, wie viel Zeit das braucht.
It will astonish you how much time that takes.
Ich bin überrascht worden.
I was surprised.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine someone jumping out from over ('über') a bush to surprise you.
Think 'over-rush-en' — a rush that comes over you when surprised.
Notes
A common transitive verb meaning to cause surprise. Past participle 'überrascht' is used with haben.