encontrar Present Conjugation
encontrar — to find
Encontrar undergoes an o-to-ue stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
encontrar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about things you find regularly, where items are currently located, or how you feel (using the reflexive 'encontrarse').
Notes on encontrar in the Present
This is a radical-changing verb. The 'o' in the root changes to 'ue' whenever that syllable is stressed (the 'boot' forms).
Example Sentences
Nunca encuentro mis llaves por la mañana.
I never find my keys in the morning.
yo
¿Encuentras lo que buscas?
Are you finding what you're looking for?
tú
Nosotros siempre encontramos un lugar para aparcar.
We always find a place to park.
nosotros
Ellos encuentran la película muy aburrida.
They find the movie very boring.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: encontro
Correct: encuentro
Why: Learners often forget the o-to-ue stem change in the first-person singular.
Mistake: encuentramos
Correct: encontramos
Why: The stem change should not be applied to the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
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.
Negative Imperative
yo: no encuentres
Negative commands use the present subjunctive forms: no encuentres, no encuentre, no encontremos.