encontrado
/en-kon-TRA-do/
found
As a past participle, encontrado means 'found' and is used to form compound tenses, such as 'I have found' (He encontrado).
📝 In Action
He encontrado las llaves que perdí.
A1I have found the keys that I lost.
¿Has encontrado una solución al problema?
A2Have you found a solution to the problem?
Todavía no hemos encontrado un buen restaurante.
A2We haven't found a good restaurant yet.
💡 Grammar Points
Making 'Have Done' Sentences
This word, 'encontrado', is what's called a past participle. You team it up with the verb 'haber' (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) to say what someone 'has done'. For example, 'he encontrado' means 'I have found'.
Always Stays the Same
When used with 'haber' to form a tense like this, 'encontrado' never changes. It's always 'encontrado', no matter who is doing the action.
❌ Common Pitfalls
'he encontrado' vs. 'encontré'
Mistake: "Ayer, he encontrado un billete de diez euros en la calle."
Correction: Ayer, encontré un billete de diez euros en la calle. Use 'encontré' (the simple past) for finished actions at a specific time in the past, like 'yesterday'. Use 'he encontrado' for recent events or life experiences without a specific time.
⭐ Usage Tips
Talking About Life Experiences
This 'haber' + 'encontrado' structure is perfect for talking about things you have or haven't done in your life. For instance, 'Nunca he encontrado un trébol de cuatro hojas' (I have never found a four-leaf clover).
When used as an adjective, encontrado can mean 'found' or, in common phrases like sentimientos encontrados, it means 'mixed' or 'conflicting' feelings.
encontrado(Adjective)
found
?Describing an object that was discovered.
mixed
?Describing feelings; often as 'sentimientos encontrados'.
,conflicting
?Describing opinions or interests.
📝 In Action
El perro encontrado en el parque ya está con su familia.
B1The found dog in the park is already with its family.
Tengo sentimientos encontrados sobre irme a vivir a otro país.
B2I have mixed feelings about going to live in another country.
Tenemos opiniones encontradas sobre ese tema.
B2We have conflicting opinions on that topic.
💡 Grammar Points
A Describing Word That Changes
When 'encontrado' is used to describe something, it has to match the thing it's describing. It changes for masculine/feminine and singular/plural: el objeto encontrado (the found object), la carta encontrada (the found letter), los tesoros encontrados (the found treasures).
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing 'Mixed Feelings'
The phrase 'sentimientos encontrados' is incredibly common and natural in Spanish. It's the go-to way to say you feel conflicted or have 'mixed feelings' about something.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: encontrado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'encontrado' to describe an object?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'encontré' and 'he encontrado'?
Think of it like 'I found' vs. 'I have found'. Use 'encontré' for a specific, finished moment in the past (e.g., 'Ayer encontré mis llaves' - 'Yesterday I found my keys'). Use 'he encontrado' when the exact time isn't important, it's recent, or it's a life experience (e.g., '¡He encontrado mis llaves!' - 'I've found my keys!').
Why does it sometimes change to 'encontrada', 'encontrados', or 'encontradas'?
That happens when it's being used as an adjective (a describing word). It has to match the noun it describes. So you'd say 'el libro encontrado' (masculine, singular) but 'la casa encontrada' (feminine, singular) and 'los libros encontrados' (masculine, plural).