encontrar Negative Imperative Conjugation
encontrar — to find
Negative commands use the present subjunctive forms: no encuentres, no encuentre, no encontremos.
encontrar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
Use this to tell someone NOT to find something (e.g., 'Don't find my hidden gift!').
Notes on encontrar in the Negative Imperative
Follows the present subjunctive pattern, including the o-to-ue stem change (except for nosotros/vosotros).
Example Sentences
No encuentres mi regalo antes de mi cumpleaños.
Don't find my gift before my birthday.
tú
No encuentren excusas para no venir.
Don't find excuses for not coming.
ustedes
No encontremos problemas donde no los hay.
Let's not find problems where there aren't any.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: no encuentra
Correct: no encuentres
Why: Using the affirmative tú form for a negative command.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: encuentro
Encontrar undergoes an o-to-ue stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Preterite
yo: encontré
Encontrar is completely regular in the preterite; the o-to-ue stem change does not happen here.
Imperfect
yo: encontraba
Encontrar is regular in the imperfect: encontraba, encontrabas, encontraba, encontrábamos, encontrabais, encontraban.
Future
yo: encontraré
The future of encontrar is regular: attach -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the full infinitive.
Conditional
yo: encontraría
The conditional of encontrar is regular: encontraría, encontrarías, encontraría, encontraríamos, encontraríais, encontrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: encuentre
The present subjunctive of encontrar follows the o-to-ue stem change except for nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: encontrara
The imperfect subjunctive of encontrar is regular: encontrara, encontraras, encontrara, encontráramos, encontrarais, encontraran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: encuentra
The imperative of encontrar uses the stem-changed 'encuentra' for tú and 'encuentre' for usted.