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SPANISH VERB

encontrar

to find

  • #25 most used
  • Irregular -ar verb
  • Gerund: encontrando
  • Past participle: encontrado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I find
  2. tú you find
  3. usted, él, ella he/she finds
  4. nosotros we find
  5. vosotros Spain you all find
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they find

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I found
  2. tú you found
  3. usted, él, ella he/she found
  4. nosotros we found
  5. vosotros Spain you all found
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they found

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to find
  2. tú you used to find
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to find
  4. nosotros we used to find
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to find
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to find

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will find
  2. tú you will find
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will find
  4. nosotros we will find
  5. vosotros Spain you all will find
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will find

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would find
  2. tú you would find
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would find
  4. nosotros we would find
  5. vosotros Spain you all would find
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would find

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I find
  2. tú (that) you find
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she find
  4. nosotros (that) we find
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all find
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they find

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I found
  2. tú (if) you found
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she found
  4. nosotros (if) we found
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all found
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they found

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú find!
  2. usted find! (formal)
  3. nosotros find! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain find! (all of you)
  5. ustedes find! (all of you)

How to use encontrar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    No encuentro mis llaves por ningún lado.

    I can't find my keys anywhere.

  2. Past

    Encontré un billete de quinientos en mi chamarra vieja.

    I found a five-hundred-peso bill in my old jacket.

  3. Imperfect

    Antes encontrábamos conchas muy bonitas en esta playa.

    We used to find very pretty shells on this beach.

  4. Future

    Seguro encontrarás trabajo pronto, no te preocupes.

    I'm sure you'll find a job soon, don't worry.

  5. Conditional

    Sin el mapa, nunca encontraríamos la cascada.

    Without the map, we'd never find the waterfall.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Ojalá encuentren un departamento cerca del metro.

    I hope you find an apartment near the subway.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Si encontrara su cartera, se la devolvería.

    If I found his wallet, I'd give it back to him.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Encuentra tus zapatos rápido, que ya nos vamos!

    Find your shoes quick, we're leaving now!

Good to know

  • "Encontrarse con alguien" is to run into someone or to meet up with them.

Where you hear encontrar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Spanish · Intermediate Level 1

  • En el centro no encuentro nada barato. In the centre I can't find anything cheap.
  • Encontré mis llaves en la cocina. I found my keys in the kitchen.
  • Vas a encontrar algo cerca de aquí. You're going to find something near here.

Spanish · Intermediate Level 2

  • Nunca encuentro mis lentes. I can never find my glasses.
  • Alfonso Caso encontró oro en una tumba. Alfonso Caso found gold in a tomb.
  • Vas a encontrar el hotel fácilmente. You're going to find the hotel easily.
11
A Flat That Has Light

Intermediate Level 1 · que encuentres

Needs a subscription 12
The Third Flat

Intermediate Level 1 · encontré

Needs a subscription 15
Moving Day

Intermediate Level 1 · para que los encuentre

Needs a subscription 19
The Housewarming

Intermediate Level 1 · que encontró

Needs a subscription 20
The Morning After

Intermediate Level 1 · hayas encontrado · que hayas encontrado este lugar · a menos que encuentre

Needs a subscription 26
Whatever You Decide

Intermediate Level 1 · si encontrara

Needs a subscription 13
Monte Alban

Intermediate Level 2 · fueron encontradas · fue encontrada

Needs a subscription 25
In the Meantime

Intermediate Level 3 · no se encuentra todos los días

Needs a subscription 13
It Was Written in Oaxaca

Advanced Level 1 · si encuentras · encuentro · encontramos · encontrarlas

Needs a subscription 16
I Miss Oaxaca

Advanced Level 1 · habéis encontrado

Needs a subscription 15
In Her Own Hand

Advanced Level 3 · encontrado

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ar verb.