encontré
“encontré” means “I found” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
I found
Also: I located
📝 In Action
¡Por fin encontré las llaves del coche!
A1I finally found the car keys!
Después de mucho buscar, encontré un buen restaurante.
A2After searching a lot, I found a good restaurant.
I met
Also: I ran into, I came across
📝 In Action
Ayer encontré a tu hermana en la biblioteca.
A2Yesterday I met your sister at the library.
Qué sorpresa, ¡encontré a mi antiguo jefe en el avión!
B1What a surprise, I ran into my old boss on the plane!
I found
Also: I thought
📝 In Action
Encontré la película muy interesante.
B1I found the movie very interesting.
¿Te gustó el libro? Yo lo encontré un poco aburrido.
B1Did you like the book? I found it a little boring.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: encontré
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'encontré' to mean 'I met' or 'I ran into'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the old Latin words 'in-' (meaning 'in' or 'on') and 'contra' (meaning 'against'). The original idea was about 'coming up against' something or someone, which evolved into our modern meaning of finding or meeting.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'encontré' and 'busqué'?
Great question! 'Busqué' means 'I looked for' or 'I searched for'—it's the action of searching. 'Encontré' is the result of that search: 'I found'. So, you might say: 'Busqué mis llaves por una hora y finalmente las encontré' (I looked for my keys for an hour and finally I found them).
Is 'encontré' always about the past?
Yes, 'encontré' specifically refers to a single, completed event in the past. It answers the question 'What happened?'. For ongoing or repeated actions in the past, you would use a different form, 'encontraba'.