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encontrarte

en-con-TRAR-teeŋ.konˈtɾaɾ.te

“encontrarte” means “to find you” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to find you, to meet you

Also: to locate you
VerbA2irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
A girl smiling happily as she finds a boy hiding behind a bright green bush during a game of hide and seek.
infinitiveencontrar
gerundencontrando
past Participleencontrado

📝 In Action

Quiero encontrarte en la cafetería a las tres.

A2

I want to find you (or meet you) at the cafeteria at three.

Espero encontrarte bien después de tu viaje.

B1

I hope to find you well after your trip.

Tenemos que encontrarte pronto, la fiesta empieza.

A2

We have to find you soon, the party is starting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • hallarte (to find you)
  • verte (to see you (often used for meeting))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • poder encontrarte – to be able to find you
  • necesito encontrarte – I need to find you

to find yourself, to meet up (with each other)

Also: to feel
VerbB1irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
A person sitting cross-legged and looking peaceful on a patch of grass. A small, glowing heart shape hovers gently above their head, symbolizing inner peace and self-discovery.
infinitiveencontrarse
gerundencontrándose
past Participleencontrado

📝 In Action

Necesitas un mapa para no encontrarte perdido.

B1

You need a map so you don't find yourself lost.

Espero que logres encontrarte a ti mismo en ese viaje.

C1

I hope you manage to find yourself on that trip (discover who you are).

Podemos encontrarte con María después del trabajo.

B2

We can have you meet up with María after work. (Implied: 'tú' meeting María)

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • encontrarte bien/mal – to feel well/bad
  • encontrarte en una situación – to find yourself in a situation

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedencuentra
yoencuentro
túencuentras
ellos/ellas/ustedesencuentran
nosotrosencontramos
vosotrosencontráis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedencontraba
yoencontraba
túencontrabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesencontraban
nosotrosencontrábamos
vosotrosencontrabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedencontró
yoencontré
túencontraste
ellos/ellas/ustedesencontraron
nosotrosencontramos
vosotrosencontrasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedencuentre
yoencuentre
túencuentres
ellos/ellas/ustedesencuentren
nosotrosencontremos
vosotrosencontréis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedencontrara/encontrase
yoencontrara/encontrase
túencontraras/encontrases
ellos/ellas/ustedesencontraran/encontrasen
nosotrosencontráramos/encontrásemos
vosotrosencontrarais/encontraseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "encontrarte" in Spanish:

to feel→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: encontrarte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'encontrarte' in the reflexive sense (finding oneself/feeling)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
cuidartellevarte
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'encontrar' comes from the Latin prefix 'in-' (meaning 'in' or 'on') combined with the word 'contra' (meaning 'against' or 'opposite'). This suggests the original meaning was 'to come face-to-face with' or 'to run against,' evolving into 'to find.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: encontrarFrench: rencontrer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'encontrar' change to 'encuentro' in the present tense?

'Encontrar' is a 'boot verb' or stem-changing verb. The 'o' in the middle changes to 'ue' whenever the stress falls on that syllable. This happens for almost all forms except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' in the present indicative and subjunctive.

Can I separate the pronoun 'te' from 'encontrar'?

Yes! When the pronoun is attached to the infinitive (encontrarte), it's correct. But if you have a conjugated verb that controls the infinitive (like 'puedo' or 'voy a'), you can also place the pronoun before the conjugated verb: 'Te voy a encontrar' is just as correct as 'Voy a encontrarte.'