de repente

See also: derepente

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• derrepente (misspelling, Brazil)

Etymology

From de (“of”) + repente (“a sudden act or occurrence”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [d͡ʒi heˈpẽ.t͡ʃi], /de.ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [de.heˈpẽ.t͡ʃi]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [d͡ʒi heˈpẽ.t͡ʃi], /de.ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [de.heˈpẽ.t͡ʃi]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [d͡ʒi χeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi], /de.ʁeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi/ [de.χeˈpẽ.t͡ʃi]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /de ʁeˈpẽ.te/ [de heˈpẽ.te], /de.ʁeˈpẽ.te/ [de.heˈpẽ.te]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨ ʁɨˈpẽ.tɨ/

Usage notes

In Brazil, even accents that usually reduce the preposition de to /d͡ʒi/ may maintain the word unreduced (i.e., as /de/) in this expression, hence the potential misspelling.

Adverb

de repente (comparable, comparative mais de repente, superlative o mais de repente)

1. suddenly; unexpectedly

   Synonyms: do nada, repentinamente, sem mais nem menos, subitamente

   • 1934, Fernando Pessoa, “Ascensão de Vasco da Gama”, in Mensagem:

     Os Deuses da tormenta e os gigantes da terra / Suspendem de repente o ódio da sua guerra

     The Gods of the storm and the giants of the Earth / Suspend suddenly the hate of their war

Further reading

• “de repente”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin dērepente (“suddenly”). Equivalent to de (“of”) + repente (“a sudden act or occurrence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /de reˈpente/ [d̪e reˈpẽn̪.t̪e]
• Syllabification: de re‧pen‧te

Adverb

de repente

1. suddenly, abruptly, (instantly): in a heartbeat

   Synonyms: súbitamente, de golpe

Related terms

• repentino

Further reading

• “de repente”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024