“de repente (= maybe/sometimes — Peru, Venezuela)”
Meaning: Suddenly; colloquially also maybe or sometimes (Mexico, parts of Central and South America, the DR)
Formal Clinical Spanish
de repente
Regional Usage
South Americade repente (= maybe/sometimes — Peru, Venezuela)
Caribbeande repente (= suddenly; in the DR also maybe)
Mexicode repente (= suddenly, or maybe / sometimes)
Central Americade repente (= suddenly, or maybe)
Clinical & Cultural Notes
- 'De repente' usually means 'suddenly', but colloquially it can mean 'maybe' (Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and much of South America) or 'sometimes' (Mexico, Ecuador, Chile), per ASALE. Don't code onset from the phrase alone; anchor to clock time.
- 'De repente' meaning 'sometimes' vs. 'suddenly' is critical for symptom onset characterization.
- Acute vs. intermittent symptoms change the differential entirely.
- For stroke/TIA workup, anchor with specific questions: '¿A qué hora exactamente empezó?'
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