Inklingo

How to Say "found out" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “found out” is “supo” — use 'supo' when someone simply gained knowledge or became aware of a piece of information, often passively..

supo🔊A2

Use 'supo' when someone simply gained knowledge or became aware of a piece of information, often passively.

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enteróA2

Use 'se enteró' when someone learned about something, often something happening or a piece of news, typically through a third party or external source.

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descubrióB1

Use 'descubrió' for a more active discovery, often uncovering a truth, a secret, or something previously unknown.

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averiguado🔊A2

Use 'ha averiguado' (present perfect) when the act of finding out information has been completed and is relevant now, implying an effort was made.

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supiera🔊B1

Use 'supiera' in hypothetical or conditional past situations, often in negative or uncertain contexts, meaning 'if I/he/she knew'.

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pillado🔊B2

Use 'pillado' (or 'pillado/a') when someone is caught in the act of doing something wrong, secretive, or forbidden.

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English → Spanish

supo

/SOO-poh//ˈsu.po/

VerbA2General
Use 'supo' when someone simply gained knowledge or became aware of a piece of information, often passively.
A cartoon image of a friendly fox placing the final, perfectly fitting wooden block into a simple shape-sorting puzzle, indicating that the solution has been found.

Examples

Ella supo la noticia por la radio esta mañana.

She found out the news on the radio this morning.

Él supo manejar la situación con mucha calma.

He managed to handle the situation very calmly.

Usted supo la respuesta correcta después de pensarlo un rato.

You (formal) figured out the correct answer after thinking about it for a while.

The 'Snapshot' Past Tense

This form, 'supo,' uses the past tense for completed actions (the preterite). It describes a single moment when the knowledge arrived, like taking a snapshot of a discovery.

Irregularity Alert

'Supo' comes from the verb 'saber,' but it completely changes its stem (the beginning part) to 'sup-' in this tense. You just have to memorize this pattern!

Preterite vs. Imperfect Meaning

Mistake: “Using 'supo' when you mean 'Ella ya tenía ese conocimiento' (She already had that knowledge).”

Correction: Use 'sabía' (imperfect) for existing knowledge: 'Ella sabía dónde estaba la llave' (She knew where the key was). Use 'supo' for the moment she found it out: 'Ella supo dónde estaba la llave' (She found out where the key was).

enteró

VerbA2General
Use 'se enteró' when someone learned about something, often something happening or a piece of news, typically through a third party or external source.

Examples

Mi hermano se enteró de la noticia por internet.

My brother found out the news online.

descubrió

VerbB1General
Use 'descubrió' for a more active discovery, often uncovering a truth, a secret, or something previously unknown.

Examples

Ella descubrió que su novio le mintió sobre el viaje.

She found out that her boyfriend lied to her about the trip.

averiguado

ah-beh-ree-GWAH-doh/aβeɾiˈɣwaðo/

VerbA2General
Use 'ha averiguado' (present perfect) when the act of finding out information has been completed and is relevant now, implying an effort was made.
A person holding a large magnifying glass over a single footprint on the ground.

Examples

Él ha averiguado la verdad sobre el problema.

He has found out the truth about the problem.

He averiguado la verdad sobre el problema.

I have found out the truth about the problem.

Una vez averiguado el precio, decidimos no comprarlo.

Once the price was found out, we decided not to buy it.

Using the 'Done' form

Averiguado is the past participle. Use it after the verb 'haber' (he, has, ha...) to say you 'have found out' something.

The Spelling Change

Notice that in some forms of the main verb, like 'averigüé', we add two dots over the 'u'. This is just to make sure the 'u' is still pronounced.

Confusing with 'found'

Mistake: “Using 'averiguado' to mean finding a physical object.”

Correction: Use 'encontrado' for physical objects (like keys). Use 'averiguado' for information or facts.

supiera

/soo-PYEH-rah//suˈpjeɾa/

VerbB1General
Use 'supiera' in hypothetical or conditional past situations, often in negative or uncertain contexts, meaning 'if I/he/she knew'.
A storybook illustration of a small child sitting on the ground, looking up wistfully at a brightly glowing, open book floating just out of reach, symbolizing knowledge they wish they had.

Examples

Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.

If I knew the answer, I would tell you.

Esperaba que ella supiera la verdad.

I hoped that she knew the truth.

No había nadie que supiera manejar ese sistema antiguo.

There was no one who knew how to operate that old system.

The Imperfect Subjunctive Mood

This form ('supiera') is used to express wishes, feelings, or doubts about a past event, or to set up hypothetical 'if' statements about the present or future.

The 'If...Then' Structure

When talking about unreal or hypothetical situations, you use 'si' (if) plus the Imperfect Subjunctive ('supiera'), followed by the Conditional tense ('diría').

Confusing 'saber' and 'conocer'

Mistake: “Using 'saber' when talking about knowing a person or place (e.g., 'Si supiera a Juan...').”

Correction: Use 'conociera' for people and places: 'Si conociera a Juan...' ('If I knew Juan...'). Use 'supiera' for facts or skills: 'Si supiera la dirección...' ('If I knew the address...').

Using the Indicative for Hypotheticals

Mistake: “Saying 'Si yo sé la respuesta, te la diría.'”

Correction: The structure requires the special Subjunctive form for the 'if' part: 'Si yo supiera la respuesta, te la diría.' (If I knew, I would tell you.)

pillado

pee-YAH-doh/piˈʎa.ðo/

AdjectiveB2Informal
Use 'pillado' (or 'pillado/a') when someone is caught in the act of doing something wrong, secretive, or forbidden.
A small child standing precariously on a wooden chair, has their hand deep inside a large cookie jar and looks startled and guilty, having been discovered doing something bad.

Examples

¡Te he pillado comiendo chocolate a escondidas!

I busted you eating chocolate secretly!

Estaba totalmente pillado cuando supo que su secreto había sido revelado.

He was totally caught out/shocked when he found out his secret had been revealed.

Focus on the Result

When someone is 'pillado' in this sense, they are usually feeling the immediate result of being discovered: shame, shock, or surprise.

Verb vs. Adjective: Caught vs. Learned

Learners often confuse verbs like 'supo' or 'descubrió' (meaning to learn or discover) with 'pillado' (meaning to be caught). Remember that 'pillado' is used when someone is caught in an action, not just when they learn information.

Related Translations

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