German · Everyday Verbs
"to find" in German: finden
finden
To find in German is finden. Say Ich finde den Schlüssel for locating something. Past participle is gefunden: Ich habe ihn gefunden.
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How to pronounce finden
Say it
FIN-den
/ˈfɪndn̩/
FIN-den. Short i. Soft -en.
"to find" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| finden | to find Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich finde / du findest | I/you find Present. | Present. |
| gefunden | found Past participle with haben. | Past participle with haben. |
| Wie findest du…? | How do you like…? Opinion, not only locating. | Opinion, not only locating. |
How to use finden in real life
- 1Keys
Ich finde meine Schlüssel nicht.
I can't find my keys.
Finde + object.
- 2Opinion
Wie findest du den neuen Film?
What do you think of the new film?
Findest du for opinion.
- 3Good news
Super, ich habe die Karte gefunden.
Great, I found the card.
Gefunden with haben.
Mistakes English speakers make with finden
Incorrect: Ich habe den Schlüssel find.
Correct: Ich habe den Schlüssel gefunden.
Past participle is gefunden.
Incorrect: Ich finde nicht meine Tasche. (awkward order)
Correct: Ich finde meine Tasche nicht.
Nicht usually comes after the object here.
Good to know
Wie findest du…? is everyday for asking someone's opinion about food, films, or people. It is not only about locating objects—context makes the meaning clear.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Looking for a ticket in a bag
ChatPal
Findest du die Fahrkarte?
Can you find the ticket?
You
Noch nicht. Ich finde nur Quittungen.
Not yet. I only find receipts.
ChatPal
Schau in die Seitentasche. Vielleicht ist sie da.
Check the side pocket. Maybe it's there.
You
Da! Ich habe sie gefunden.
There! I found it.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to find" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to find" in German
How do you conjugate finden?
Ich finde, du findest, er findet; past participle gefunden.
I found it?
Ich habe es gefunden.
How do you like it?
Wie findest du das?
I can't find…?
Ich finde … nicht.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
