reencontrar

Reencontrar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese with the general sense of meeting someone again after a period of separation, or rediscovering something previously known. It can refer to a physical reunion, a renewed relationship, or the act of rediscovering a place, memory, or feeling.

Etymology and form: Reencontrar is formed from the prefix re- meaning again, attached to the verb encontrar/en contrar (to find). In both languages the word denotes a return to an earlier encounter or discovery. In Spanish it can be conjugated as a regular -ar verb, though it shares its prefix dynamics with encuentros and memories. In Portuguese it is similarly treated as a regular -ar verb, used transitively with a direct object or in a pronominal form.

Usage and senses: The core sense is interpersonal or experiential—finding someone or something again, or reestablishing a connection. It can be used with a direct object (reencontrar a alguien / reencontrar alguém) or in pronominal form (reencontrarse con alguien / reencontrar-se com alguém) to express reuniting with someone. Beyond people, it can describe rediscovering places, feelings, or memories, as in “reencontrar um antigo lugar” or “reencontrarse con una emoción perdida.”

Examples:

Spanish: Después de años sin verse, se reencontraron en la estación. Me reencontré con mi maestra de la infancia.

Portuguese: Depois de anos, reencontrei meus colegas de escola. Ele se reencontrou com a família na festa.

See also: encontrar, reencontrar con/আcé? see also reconectar, revisitar.