guess what
91
4.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
adivina qué
- You'll never guess what happened to me.
- guess what happened
- guess what I got
- guess what I found
Well, guess what, boys, today the human lost.
- Well, guess what, boys, today the human lost.
- If you then share this podcast, guess what?
- I might have struck out the last year, but guess what?
- They're like, hey, guess what I'm thinking about?
- Here's the deal, when you do all of this, guess what happens?
Examples
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The following weekend she was back, and guess what, exactly the same thing happened again.
Blog text (1) -
Then he goes shopping on the way home from work and guess what happens?
-
Well, guess what, boys, today the human lost.
-
The more I share, guess what, the more I learn too.
-
So I guess what we'll do is we'll just get started here.
-
But guess what, I must be good at Chinese because I understand everything he says.
Fiction book (1997) -
And can you maybe guess what the theme is here?
-
Well, guess what happened today, this morning, Justin?
-
As I searched, I found a very old one missing its cover, but guess what?
Fiction book (1998) -
Well, guess what, boys, today the human lost.
Synonyms
34
5.5
To tell someone something surprising that may change what they expect
11
8.2
To tell someone surprising or important news, often with irony
How Surprising
- Informal
20
4.4
- Informal
34
5.5
- Informal
91
4.9
- Informal
448
1.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'guess' (try to determine) with 'what' (the content), so its pragmatic function—inviting the listener to try to determine the upcoming information—is directly inferable from the constituents. This conversational formula is common across many languages (e.g. Spanish 'adivina qué'), so an average B1 learner who knows the words will readily grasp its use.
Etymology
Guess what comes from the simple act of asking someone to guess a secret: you say guess and what to make the listener curious and pay attention before you tell surprising news. That's why it is used to introduce 'surprising' or important information.