vinden

Vinden is a Dutch verb meaning to locate something, to discover something, or to form an opinion about something. It is used transitively with a direct object (I find my keys), as well as in phrases that express evaluation or perception (I think, or feel, that…). The verb also appears in fixed expressions such as “vinden van” to express an opinion about someone or something.

Conjugation and forms: Vinden is irregular in the past tense and past participle. The present tense forms are: ik vind, jij vindt, hij/zij/het vindt, wij vinden, jullie vinden, zij vinden. The simple past tense is vond for singular and vonden for plural (ik/vond, jij/vond, hij vond, wij vonden, jullie vonden, zij vonden). The past participle is gevonden, used with the auxiliary hebben (ik heb gevonden). Passive voice can be formed with gevonden in combination with worden (het boek is gevonden).

Usage notes: In many contexts, vinden is used to express evaluation or opinion, as in “Ik vind dit boek leuk” (I like this book) or “Wat vind je daarvan?” (What do you think of that?). It can denote physical discovery (“Ik heb mijn sleutels gevonden”) and abstract discovery or realization (“We hebben een oplossing gevonden”). The verb typically takes a direct object, often followed by an adjective or a clause to convey assessment.

Etymology and cognates: Vinden shares roots with the German finden and the English find, all tracing to a common Proto-Germanic ancestor. This reflects the parallel development of the verb across West Germanic languages.