repentino

sudden

adjective rreh-pehn-TEE-noh Rare

Origin: from Latin repentinus, 'unexpected'

Also means

abrupt

Usage Note

Repentino describes something happening without warning — an illness, a change, a noise. The adverb repentinamente (suddenly) is a common alternative to de repente, which is the far more frequent colloquial phrase for 'suddenly'. Repentino itself stays in formal writing and journalism; casual speech prefers de golpe or de repente.

Examples

"Su muerte repentina conmocionó al país."

Natural Translation

His sudden death shocked the country.

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