Encontrarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb encontrarse means to meet, to be (located), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Encontrarse means to meet or to be located, and it has two everyday uses: meeting someone somewhere, encontrarse con María, and being in a place or a state, as in encontrarse en el centro or encontrarse mal. It is a stem-changing reflexive verb, o to ue. Like every Spanish verb, encontrarse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza, and in the preterite you say me encontré en el centro de la ciudad. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: encontrarse
  • English: to meet, to be (located)
  • Verb type: irregular verb, reflexive, stem-changing (o → ue)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: encontrando
  • Past participle: encontrado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + encontrado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Stem change: o → ue in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for encontrarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Stem change o to ue: me encuentro, te encuentras, but nosotros nos encontramos keeps the o.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for encontrarse. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encuentro
tú te encuentras
él/ella/Ud. se encuentra
nosotros/as nos encontramos
vosotros/as os encontráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encuentran

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encontré
tú te encontraste
él/ella/Ud. se encontró
nosotros/as nos encontramos
vosotros/as os encontrasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encontraron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encontraba
tú te encontrabas
él/ella/Ud. se encontraba
nosotros/as nos encontrábamos
vosotros/as os encontrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encontraban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encontraré
tú te encontrarás
él/ella/Ud. se encontrará
nosotros/as nos encontraremos
vosotros/as os encontraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encontrarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encontraría
tú te encontrarías
él/ella/Ud. se encontraría
nosotros/as nos encontraríamos
vosotros/as os encontraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encontrarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he encontrado
tú te has encontrado
él/ella/Ud. se ha encontrado
nosotros/as nos hemos encontrado
vosotros/as os habéis encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han encontrado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había encontrado
tú te habías encontrado
él/ella/Ud. se había encontrado
nosotros/as nos habíamos encontrado
vosotros/as os habíais encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían encontrado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré encontrado
tú te habrás encontrado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá encontrado
nosotros/as nos habremos encontrado
vosotros/as os habréis encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán encontrado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría encontrado
tú te habrías encontrado
él/ella/Ud. se habría encontrado
nosotros/as nos habríamos encontrado
vosotros/as os habríais encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían encontrado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encuentre
tú te encuentres
él/ella/Ud. se encuentre
nosotros/as nos encontremos
vosotros/as os encontréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encuentren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me encontrara
tú te encontraras
él/ella/Ud. se encontrara
nosotros/as nos encontráramos
vosotros/as os encontrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encontraran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te encuentra
él/ella/Ud. se encuentre
nosotros/as nos encontremos
vosotros/as os encontrad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encuentren

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te encuentres
él/ella/Ud. se encuentre
nosotros/as nos encontremos
vosotros/as os encontréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se encuentren

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund encontrando with estar for the progressive: estoy encontrando (or me estoy encontrando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle encontrado with haber for the perfect tenses: he encontrado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For encontrarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me encontré con su hermano en el parque. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me encontraba en el centro de la ciudad. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me encontraré con María a las cinco. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me encontraría con los amigos en la plaza si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he encontrado con su hermano en el parque. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había encontrado en el centro de la ciudad antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré encontrado con María a las cinco. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría encontrado con los amigos en la plaza con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For encontrarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se encuentre con su hermano en el parque. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For encontrarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se encontrara en el centro de la ciudad, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For encontrarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se encuentre con María a las cinco. Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For encontrarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te encuentres con los amigos en la plaza. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with encontrarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza. — I meet with friends in the square.
  2. Se encuentra con su hermano en el parque. — He/she meets with his brother in the park.
  3. Ayer, me encontré en el centro de la ciudad. — Yesterday, I met in the city centre.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos encontrábamos con María a las cinco. — Before, we used to meet with María at five.
  5. Mañana, tú te encontrarás con los amigos en la plaza. — Tomorrow, you will meet with friends in the square.
  6. Yo me encontraría con su hermano en el parque si tuviera más tiempo. — I would meet with his brother in the park if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha encontrado en el centro de la ciudad. — He has met in the city centre.
  8. Espero que él se encuentre con María a las cinco. — I hope he meets with María at five.
  9. Yo ya me había encontrado con los amigos en la plaza antes de salir. — I had already met with friends in the square before leaving.
  10. Ellos se encontraban con su hermano en el parque cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to meet with his brother in the park when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo encuentro con los amigos en la plaza. — Right: Yo me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza. — Encontrarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Yo encontro con su hermano en el parque. — Right: Yo encuentro con su hermano en el parque. — Encontrarse is a stem-changing verb (o → ue), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating encontrarse and encontrar as identical in every context. — Right: Encontrarse means to meet, to be (located), while encontrar means to find something, not yourself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: encontrarse fits sentences such as Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza, while encontrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy encontrado con su hermano en el parque. — Right: Yo he encontrado con su hermano en el parque. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he encontrado, has encontrado, ha encontrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo encontré en el centro de la ciudad todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo encontraba en el centro de la ciudad todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (encontraba), not the preterite. The preterite (encontré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on encontrarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con los amigos en la plaza. (present tense) A. me encuentro B. te encuentras C. se encuentra D. nos encontramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con su hermano en el parque. (preterite) A. me encontré B. te encontraste C. se encontraron D. se encontró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en el centro de la ciudad. (imperfect) A. te encontrabas B. se encontraban C. nos encontrábamos D. me encontraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con María a las cinco. (future) A. nos encontraremos B. te encontrarás C. me encontraré D. se encontrará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con los amigos en la plaza si pudiera. (conditional) A. me encontraría B. te encontrarías C. se encontraría D. se encontrarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con su hermano en el parque. (present subjunctive) A. me encuentre B. te encuentres C. nos encontremos D. se encuentre

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en el centro de la ciudad, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se encontrara B. nos encontráramos C. me encontrara D. te encontraras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con María a las cinco. (present perfect) A. se han encontrado B. nos hemos encontrado C. me he encontrado D. te has encontrado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ con los amigos en la plaza. (negative imperative, tú) A. te encuentres B. se encuentre C. nos encontremos D. os encontréis

  10. Which is the gerund of encontrarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. encontrado B. encuentro C. encontré D. encontrando

Answer key

  1. me encuentro — The first-person present of encontrarse is me encuentro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se encontró — The third-person preterite of encontrarse is se encontró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos encontrábamos — The nosotros imperfect of encontrarse is nos encontrábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te encontrarás — The second-person future of encontrarse is te encontrarás.
  5. me encontraría — The first-person conditional of encontrarse is me encontraría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se encuentre — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of encontrarse is se encuentre.
  7. me encontrara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of encontrarse is me encontrara.
  8. nos hemos encontrado — The nosotros present perfect of encontrarse is nos hemos encontrado: hemos + encontrado.
  9. te encuentres — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te encuentres.
  10. encontrando — The gerund of encontrarse is encontrando: estoy encontrando. The participle encontrado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does encontrarse mean in English?

Encontrarse means to meet, to be (located). It is used in everyday situations such as Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is encontrarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Encontrarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza and él se encuentra con su hermano en el parque. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between encontrarse and encontrar?

Encontrarse means to meet, to be (located), while encontrar means to find something, not yourself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use encontrarse when you mean to meet, to be (located), as in Me encuentro con los amigos en la plaza, and use encontrar for to find something, not yourself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I meet” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me encontré con su hermano en el parque. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me encontraba en el centro de la ciudad. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he encontrado con su hermano en el parque.

How do I practise encontrarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the encontrarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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