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De repente

 

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings.


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  #1  
Old October 21, 2016, 09:28 AM
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De repente

I have always used de repente to mean suddenly. Yesterday I learned that it may also be used to mean perhaps. Do Spanish speakers in this forum find this a common usage? If so, is it completely synonomous to tal vez?
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  #2  
Old October 21, 2016, 11:51 AM
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It's not very often heard everywhere (I think this is more like a South American expression), but it's not so uncommonly heard in Mexico and it's understood in context.
The DRAE says it's synonymous to "posiblemente", so you can also say "tal vez" and "quizás". (Although I prefer the subjunctive with these last ones.)
By the way, in Mexican colloquial speech, we say "igual y" and "en una de ésas" with the same meaning.


- De repente Juan no viene a la fiesta.
- En una de ésas Juan no viene a la fiesta. / Igual y Juan no viene a la fiesta.
- Quizás/tal vez Juan no venga a la fiesta.

- Mira este catálogo, de repente encuentras un vestido bonito.
- Mira este catálogo, en una de ésas/igual y encuentras un vestido bonito.
- Mira este catálogo, tal vez encuentres un vestido bonito.

- Le voy a preguntar al abuelo, de repente se acuerda de cómo conoció a la abuela.
- Le voy a preguntar al abuelo, en una de ésas/igual y se acuerda de cómo conoció a la abuela.
- Le voy a peguntar al abuelo, posiblemente se acuerde de cómo conoció a la abuela.
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Old October 24, 2016, 10:56 PM
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Wow, that's really good information. Thank you.
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