encontrarme
/en-kon-TRAR-meh/
to find myself
Depicting 'to find myself' (in a place or situation).
encontrarme(verb)
to find myself
?in a place or situation
,to be located
?as a location
to meet up (with someone)
?when the full phrase 'encontrarme con alguien' is used
📝 In Action
Necesito encontrarme con mi hermano antes del cine.
A2I need to meet up with my brother before the movies.
Al abrir la puerta, me sorprendió encontrarme solo en la casa.
B1Upon opening the door, it surprised me to find myself alone in the house.
No quiero encontrarme en esa situación otra vez.
B2I don't want to find myself in that situation again.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Me' Ending
The 'me' at the end tells you that the action of 'finding' is directed back at the speaker ('myself'). This is the infinitive form, ready to be attached after another conjugated verb (e.g., 'Quiero encontrarme...').
Stem Change Warning
The base verb 'encontrar' is a 'boot verb' (O changes to UE) in the present tense forms, except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'. Pay attention to 'encUEntro'!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Pronoun Placement
Mistake: "Me tengo que encontrar (Incorrect word order for attachment)"
Correction: Tengo que encontrarme (The 'me' pronoun must attach to the infinitive when it follows a conjugated verb like 'tener que').
⭐ Usage Tips
Two Ways to Place the Pronoun
You can either attach 'me' to the infinitive (Quiero encontrarme) or place 'me' before the conjugated verb (Me quiero encontrar). Both are correct!
Depicting 'to feel' (describing health or mood).
encontrarme(verb)
to feel
?describing health or mood
,to be (feeling)
?state of being
to experience
?a particular feeling or state
📝 In Action
Es difícil encontrarme motivado para ir al gimnasio.
B1It's difficult to find myself motivated to go to the gym (to feel motivated).
Después de la carrera, empecé a encontrarme exhausto.
B1After the race, I started to feel exhausted.
Necesito un momento para encontrarme tranquilo.
B2I need a moment to find myself calm (to feel calm).
💡 Grammar Points
Describing Feelings
When you use 'encontrarse' to talk about feelings, it works just like 'estar' (to be temporarily), usually followed by an adjective (e.g., bien, cansado, triste).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Encontrarse' and 'Buscar'
Mistake: "Quiero buscarme bien (I want to search myself well)"
Correction: Quiero encontrarme bien (I want to feel well). 'Buscar' means to search; 'encontrarse' means to find oneself/to feel.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Polite Way to Ask
A very common and polite way to ask 'How are you feeling?' is '¿Cómo se encuentra?' (How do you find yourself?).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: encontrarme
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'encontrarme' in the sense of describing a feeling or state?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'encontrarme' have the accent mark on the 'a' in 'encontrándome' (the gerund)?
When you attach a pronoun like 'me' to the end of a verb form, the original stress of the verb needs to be preserved. Since 'encontrando' naturally stresses the 'a,' we add the written accent mark to keep that stress when we add the extra syllable 'me' at the end.
Is 'encontrarme' always about finding a physical location?
No. While it can mean 'to find myself in a place,' it is very frequently used figuratively to describe your mental or physical condition: 'Me encuentro bien' means 'I feel well.'