“Surprised At”, “Surprised About” And “Surprised By”?
I am confused about using “surprised at”, “surprised about” and “surprised by.”
I’ve been trying to know better about them, and found some “rules” on discussion forums, but I would like to make sure that they are valid for native English speakers. Could you please help me with this?
Rule 1.
surprised at: away from the surprised person
surprised by: toward the surprised person
(discussion source:
Q1: Is this rule valid for “most of the native English-speaker”?
Rule 2.
surprised at: suggest something has happened contrary to the way you expected
surprised by: suggests something you were not expecting at all.
— they are largely interchangeable but the expression ‘to be surprised at someone’ – often expressing disappointment with their behavior – is usually always with ‘at’ rather than ‘by’.
(discussion source:
Q2: Is this rule valid for “most of the native English-speaker”?
Q3: If it’s valid, can I use it for “events” too?
I could hardly find any discussion about “surprised about,” it is also the least use one. However, I noticed that people are more likely to use it seem when posting oneself’s opinions informally (on a forum, for example).
Q4: Do you have any comment on the usage of “surprised about?”
Q5: Does what I noticed mean that “surprised about” is a less formal expression, compared to “surprised at” and “surprised by”?
Q6: Is there any other rule in your mind, or any suggestion on the usage of these expressions?
Many thanks in advance!
Hi everyone!I am confused about using “surprised at”, “surprised about” and “surprised by.”I’ve been trying to know better about them, and found some “rules” on discussion forums, but I would like to make sure that they are valid for native English speakers. Could you please help me with this?Rule 1.surprised at: away from the surprised personsurprised by: toward the surprised person(discussion source: http://www.EnglishForward.com/English/SurprisedAtByEtc/lxng/post.htm Q1: Is this rule valid for “most of the native English-speaker”?Rule 2.surprised at: suggest something has happened contrary to the way you expectedsurprised by: suggests something you were not expecting at all.– they are largely interchangeable but the expression ‘to be surprised at someone’ – often expressing disappointment with their behavior – is usually always with ‘at’ rather than ‘by’.(discussion source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080622071612AATGUmY Q2: Is this rule valid for “most of the native English-speaker”?Q3: If it’s valid, can I use it for “events” too?I could hardly find any discussion about “surprised about,” it is also the least use one. However, I noticed that people are more likely to use it seem when posting oneself’s opinions informally (on a forum, for example).Q4: Do you have any comment on the usage of “surprised about?”Q5: Does what I noticed mean that “surprised about” is a less formal expression, compared to “surprised at” and “surprised by”?Q6: Is there any other rule in your mind, or any suggestion on the usage of these expressions?Many thanks in advance!
