Encontrarse

Encontrarse is a Spanish verb used pronominally, with two main senses. One is to meet someone by chance or to encounter someone; the other is to be located somewhere or to find oneself in a certain state or condition. In addition to the standalone form, the constructions with reflexive se or with the preposition en can express location (se encuentra) or a meeting (se encuentra con alguien).

Conjugation is formed regularly in many tenses, with the typical reflexive pronouns. In the present indicative the forms are: yo me encuentro, tú te encuentras, él se encuentra, nosotros nos encontramos, vosotros os encontráis, ellos se encuentran. In the preterite it is: yo me encontré, tú te encontraste, él se encontró, nosotros nos encontramos, vosotros os encontrasteis, ellos se encontraron. The imperfect is yo me encontraba, etc., and the future is yo me encontraré, tú te encontrarás, él se encontrará, etc. The present subjunctive is me encuentre, te encuentres, se encuentre, nos encontremos, os encontréis, se encuentren. The imperfect subjunctive forms can be me encontrara or me encontrase, and similarly for the other persons. The command forms use the third-person plural present or the corresponding negative tú forms when giving advice.

Usage notes: encontrar is transitive (to find something) but encontrar se is reflexive when meaning to meet someone (encontrarse con alguien) or to be located (la oficina se encuentra en el centro). Regionally, Spain often uses vosotros os encontráis; many Latin American varieties prefer ustedes se encuentran. The phrase encontrarse con seguido de una persona expresses meeting or encountering someone, while encontrarse with en expresses location or state: “se encuentra en la biblioteca” or “se encuentra bien.”

Etymology: encontrar derives from a Romance verb built with en- and a root related to encontrar “to come upon.” The exact historical lineage traces to Latin and early Romance formations.

See also: encontrar, encontrarse con, verbos pronominales.