finden

Finden is a core German verb meaning to find, discover, or perceive something. It is used transitively and often with a direct object, as in Ich habe den Schlüssel gefunden. Beyond the literal sense, finden also expresses opinions or attitudes, as in Wie findest du das? and Es gefällt mir; ich finde es gut.

Etymology and related forms: Finden comes from Old High German finden and from Proto-Germanic roots shared with English find. It is cognate with other Germanic languages, illustrating a common lineage for the meaning “to discover” or “to perceive.”

Morphology and main tenses: Finden is a strong (irregular) verb. Present tense: ich finde, du findest, er findet, wir finden, ihr findet, Sie finden. Preterite (simple past): ich fand, du fandest, er fand, wir fanden, ihr fandet, Sie fanden. Past participle: gefunden. The auxiliary for perfect tenses is haben, as in Ich habe den Schlüssel gefunden. The verb also appears in separable or fixed expressions, such as stattfinden (to take place) where finden forms part of the compound verb.

Usage and common expressions: In addition to literal discovery, finden is used to express evaluation or preference: Ich finde das gut. Gefallen finden an + dative expresses “to take pleasure in” or “to fancy,” e.g., Sie findet Gefallen an dieser Idee. Sich finden and zurechtfinden mean to locate oneself or to find one's bearings. The phrase stattfinden means “to occur” or “to take place.”

Noun form: Das Finden refers to the act of finding or discovery. It can denote the process or result of finding something.