encuentra
“encuentra” means “he/she/it finds” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
he/she/it finds, you (formal) find
Also: he/she/it locates
📝 In Action
Mi mamá nunca encuentra sus gafas.
A1My mom never finds her glasses.
El perro encuentra su hueso en el jardín.
A2The dog finds its bone in the garden.
Usted encuentra la oficina en el tercer piso.
A2You (formal) find the office on the third floor.
he/she/it meets, you (formal) meet
Also: he/she encounters, he/she comes across
📝 In Action
Cada martes, él encuentra a sus amigos para almorzar.
A2Every Tuesday, he meets his friends for lunch.
Ella siempre encuentra tráfico en la mañana.
B1She always encounters traffic in the morning.
he/she/it finds (it to be...), you (formal) find (it to be...)
Also: he/she thinks, he/she considers
📝 In Action
Ella encuentra la película muy aburrida.
B1She finds the movie very boring.
Mi jefe encuentra tu idea excelente.
B1My boss finds your idea excellent.
¿Usted no encuentra extraño que la tienda esté cerrada?
B2Don't you (formal) find it strange that the store is closed?
find!
📝 In Action
¡Rápido, encuentra la salida!
A2Quick, find the exit!
Encuentra el error en esta frase.
B1Find the mistake in this sentence.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: encuentra
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'encuentra' to mean 'thinks' or 'considers'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin phrase 'in contrā', which means 'against' or 'opposite'. The idea is of coming up against something, or face-to-face with it, which is how you find or meet it.
First recorded: Around the 12th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'encuentra' and 'se encuentra'?
Great question! 'Encuentra' means 'he/she finds' something else ('Él encuentra el libro'). When you add 'se' to make 'se encuentra', the meaning changes. It can mean 'is located' ('La biblioteca se encuentra en el centro') or 'feels' ('Ella se encuentra feliz hoy'). The 'se' turns the action back on the subject.
Is 'encuentra' formal or informal?
It can be both! As 'he/she finds', it's neutral. As 'you find' ('usted encuentra'), it's formal. And as the command 'find!' ('tú encuentra'), it's informal. The context and who you're talking to are key!