diff --git a/narwhals/dataframe.py b/narwhals/dataframe.py
index b508ded18..33aa35a22 100644
--- a/narwhals/dataframe.py
+++ b/narwhals/dataframe.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from narwhals.translate import to_native
 from narwhals.utils import find_stacklevel
 from narwhals.utils import flatten
+from narwhals.utils import generate_repr
 from narwhals.utils import is_sequence_but_not_str
 from narwhals.utils import parse_version
 
@@ -414,18 +415,7 @@ def __array__(self, dtype: Any = None, copy: bool | None = None) -> np.ndarray:
         return self._compliant_frame.__array__(dtype, copy=copy)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:  # pragma: no cover
-        header = " Narwhals DataFrame                    "
-        length = len(header)
-        return (
-            "┌"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┐\n"
-            + f"|{header}|\n"
-            + "| Use `.to_native` to see native output |\n"
-            + "└"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┘"
-        )
+        return generate_repr("Narwhals DataFrame", self.to_native().__repr__())
 
     def __arrow_c_stream__(self, requested_schema: object | None = None) -> object:
         """Export a DataFrame via the Arrow PyCapsule Interface.
@@ -3581,18 +3571,7 @@ def __init__(
             raise AssertionError(msg)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:  # pragma: no cover
-        header = " Narwhals LazyFrame                    "
-        length = len(header)
-        return (
-            "┌"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┐\n"
-            + f"|{header}|\n"
-            + "| Use `.to_native` to see native output |\n"
-            + "└"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┘"
-        )
+        return generate_repr("Narwhals LazyFrame", self.to_native().__repr__())
 
     @property
     def implementation(self) -> Implementation:
@@ -3640,11 +3619,12 @@ def collect(self) -> DataFrame[Any]:
             ...     }
             ... )
             >>> lf = nw.from_native(lf_pl)
-            >>> lf
-            ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
-            | Narwhals LazyFrame                    |
-            | Use `.to_native` to see native output |
-            └───────────────────────────────────────┘
+            >>> lf  # doctest:+ELLIPSIS
+            ┌─────────────────────────────┐
+            |     Narwhals LazyFrame      |
+            |-----------------------------|
+            |<LazyFrame at ...
+            └─────────────────────────────┘
             >>> df = lf.group_by("a").agg(nw.all().sum()).collect()
             >>> df.to_native().sort("a")
             shape: (3, 3)
diff --git a/narwhals/series.py b/narwhals/series.py
index 8f15ff0ce..de0e64396 100644
--- a/narwhals/series.py
+++ b/narwhals/series.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from narwhals.dtypes import _validate_dtype
 from narwhals.typing import IntoSeriesT
 from narwhals.utils import _validate_rolling_arguments
+from narwhals.utils import generate_repr
 from narwhals.utils import parse_version
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -404,18 +405,7 @@ def pipe(self, function: Callable[[Any], Self], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Se
         return function(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:  # pragma: no cover
-        header = " Narwhals Series                         "
-        length = len(header)
-        return (
-            "┌"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┐\n"
-            + f"|{header}|\n"
-            + "| Use `.to_native()` to see native output |\n"
-            + "└"
-            + "─" * length
-            + "┘"
-        )
+        return generate_repr("Narwhals Series", self.to_native().__repr__())
 
     def __len__(self) -> int:
         return len(self._compliant_series)
diff --git a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
index f7705713f..22afc687d 100644
--- a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
+++ b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
@@ -430,11 +430,12 @@ def collect(self) -> DataFrame[Any]:
             ...     }
             ... )
             >>> lf = nw.from_native(lf_pl)
-            >>> lf
-            ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
-            | Narwhals LazyFrame                    |
-            | Use `.to_native` to see native output |
-            └───────────────────────────────────────┘
+            >>> lf  # doctest:+ELLIPSIS
+            ┌─────────────────────────────┐
+            |     Narwhals LazyFrame      |
+            |-----------------------------|
+            |<LazyFrame at ...
+            └─────────────────────────────┘
             >>> df = lf.group_by("a").agg(nw.all().sum()).collect()
             >>> df.to_native().sort("a")
             shape: (3, 3)
diff --git a/narwhals/utils.py b/narwhals/utils.py
index b6337cb8e..2125d46c4 100644
--- a/narwhals/utils.py
+++ b/narwhals/utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
 import re
 from enum import Enum
 from enum import auto
@@ -960,3 +961,35 @@ def _validate_rolling_arguments(
         min_periods = window_size
 
     return window_size, min_periods
+
+
+def generate_repr(header: str, native_repr: str) -> str:
+    try:
+        terminal_width = os.get_terminal_size().columns
+    except OSError:
+        terminal_width = 80
+    native_lines = native_repr.splitlines()
+    max_native_width = max(len(line) for line in native_lines)
+
+    if max_native_width + 2 < terminal_width:
+        length = max(max_native_width, len(header))
+        output = f"┌{'─'*length}┐\n"
+        header_extra = length - len(header)
+        output += (
+            f"|{' '*(header_extra//2)}{header}{' '*(header_extra//2 + header_extra%2)}|\n"
+        )
+        output += f"|{'-'*(length)}|\n"
+        start_extra = (length - max_native_width) // 2
+        end_extra = (length - max_native_width) // 2 + (length - max_native_width) % 2
+        for line in native_lines:
+            output += f"|{' '*(start_extra)}{line}{' '*(end_extra + max_native_width - len(line))}|\n"
+        output += f"└{'─' * length}┘"
+        return output
+
+    diff = 39 - len(header)
+    return (
+        f"┌{'─' * (39)}┐\n"
+        f"|{' '*(diff//2)}{header}{' '*(diff//2+diff%2)}|\n"
+        "| Use `.to_native` to see native output |\n└"
+        f"{'─' * 39}┘"
+    )
diff --git a/tests/repr_test.py b/tests/repr_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..40cd51dca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/repr_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pandas as pd
+import pytest
+
+import narwhals.stable.v1 as nw
+
+
+def test_repr() -> None:
+    duckdb = pytest.importorskip("duckdb")
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": ["fdaf", "fda", "cf"]})
+    result = nw.from_native(df).__repr__()
+    expected = (
+        "┌──────────────────┐\n"
+        "|Narwhals DataFrame|\n"
+        "|------------------|\n"
+        "|       a     b    |\n"
+        "|    0  1  fdaf    |\n"
+        "|    1  2   fda    |\n"
+        "|    2  3    cf    |\n"
+        "└──────────────────┘"
+    )
+    assert result == expected
+    result = nw.from_native(df).lazy().__repr__()
+    expected = (
+        "┌──────────────────┐\n"
+        "|Narwhals LazyFrame|\n"
+        "|------------------|\n"
+        "|       a     b    |\n"
+        "|    0  1  fdaf    |\n"
+        "|    1  2   fda    |\n"
+        "|    2  3    cf    |\n"
+        "└──────────────────┘"
+    )
+    assert result == expected
+    result = nw.from_native(df)["a"].__repr__()
+    expected = (
+        "┌─────────────────────┐\n"
+        "|   Narwhals Series   |\n"
+        "|---------------------|\n"
+        "|0    1               |\n"
+        "|1    2               |\n"
+        "|2    3               |\n"
+        "|Name: a, dtype: int64|\n"
+        "└─────────────────────┘"
+    )
+    assert result == expected
+    result = nw.from_native(duckdb.table("df")).__repr__()
+    expected = (
+        "┌───────────────────┐\n"
+        "|Narwhals DataFrame |\n"
+        "|-------------------|\n"
+        "|┌───────┬─────────┐|\n"
+        "|│   a   │    b    │|\n"
+        "|│ int64 │ varchar │|\n"
+        "|├───────┼─────────┤|\n"
+        "|│     1 │ fdaf    │|\n"
+        "|│     2 │ fda     │|\n"
+        "|│     3 │ cf      │|\n"
+        "|└───────┴─────────┘|\n"
+        "└───────────────────┘"
+    )
+    assert result == expected
+    # Make something wider than the terminal size
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": ["fdaf" * 100, "fda", "cf"]})
+    result = nw.from_native(duckdb.table("df")).__repr__()
+    expected = (
+        "┌───────────────────────────────────────┐\n"
+        "|          Narwhals DataFrame           |\n"
+        "| Use `.to_native` to see native output |\n"
+        "└───────────────────────────────────────┘"
+    )
+    assert result == expected