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fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

おどろく

驚く

to be surprised

  • #218 most used
  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI am surprised
NegativeI am not surprised

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI was surprised
NegativeI was not surprised

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formbeing surprised, and…
Doing now (て います)I am being surprised
Please (て ください)please be surprised

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can be surprised
NegativeI can’t be surprised

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to be surprised
NegativeI don’t want to be surprised

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s be surprised

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I am surprised
  2. If, when (たら) if I am surprised

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) be surprised (do it)
  2. Plain command be surprised!
  3. Please don’t please don’t be surprised

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
Passive
Causative

How to use おどろく

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    にほん の でんしゃ は じかん に せいかく で、 いつも おどろきます。

    Japanese trains are so punctual that I'm always amazed.

  2. Past

    きゅう に こえ を かけられて、 おどろいた。

    Someone suddenly spoke to me and I was startled.

  3. Te-form

    ベン さん は ねだん を みて、 おどろいて います。

    Ben is looking at the price and is astonished.

  4. Potential

    ベン の はなし に は、 もう おどろけない。

    Ben's stories can't surprise me any more.

  5. Want to

    つぎ の えいが で は、 いい いみ で おどろきたい。

    With the next film, I want to be surprised in a good way.

  6. Volitional

    みんな で けんた を おどろかせよう。

    Let's all give Kenta a surprise.

  7. Conditional

    おどろいたら、 おもわず こえ が でて しまった。

    I was startled and a cry escaped me.

  8. Commands and requests

    おどろかないで ください。 わるい しらせ です。

    Please don't be alarmed. It's bad news.

  9. Passive and causative

    ゆうべ、 ちち の はなし に おどろかされました。

    Last night my father's story took me by surprise.

Good to know

  • What surprises you takes に: ねだん に おどろきました.
  • Nobody decides to be surprised, so the volitional and passive sentences use おどろかせる, to surprise someone.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).