encontrarse — Spanish conjugation

to meet; to feel (encontrarse bien); to be located

IrregularReflexiveencontrar → encontrarse

Indicative

Present (Presente) Irregular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanish
yome encuentro
te encuentras
voste encontrás
él/ella/Ud.se encuentra
nosotrosnos encontramos
vosotrosos encontráis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encuentran

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanish
yome encontré
te encontraste
voste encontraste
él/ella/Ud.se encontró
nosotrosnos encontramos
vosotrosos encontrasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontraron

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yome encontraba
te encontrabas
voste encontrabas
él/ella/Ud.se encontraba
nosotrosnos encontrábamos
vosotrosos encontrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontraban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanish
yome encontraría
te encontrarías
voste encontrarías
él/ella/Ud.se encontraría
nosotrosnos encontraríamos
vosotrosos encontraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontrarían

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanish
yome encontraré
te encontrarás
voste encontrarás
él/ella/Ud.se encontrará
nosotrosnos encontraremos
vosotrosos encontraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontrarán

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanish
yome he encontrado
te has encontrado
voste has encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se ha encontrado
nosotrosnos hemos encontrado
vosotrosos habéis encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se han encontrado

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanish
yome había encontrado
te habías encontrado
voste habías encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se había encontrado
nosotrosnos habíamos encontrado
vosotrosos habíais encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habían encontrado

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yome habría encontrado
te habrías encontrado
voste habrías encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se habría encontrado
nosotrosnos habríamos encontrado
vosotrosos habríais encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrían encontrado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanish
yome habré encontrado
te habrás encontrado
voste habrás encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se habrá encontrado
nosotrosnos habremos encontrado
vosotrosos habréis encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrán encontrado

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yome encuentre
te encuentres
voste encuentres
él/ella/Ud.se encuentre
nosotrosnos encontremos
vosotrosos encontréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encuentren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome encontrara
te encontraras
voste encontraras
él/ella/Ud.se encontrara
nosotrosnos encontráramos
vosotrosos encontrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontraran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome encontrase
te encontrases
voste encontrases
él/ella/Ud.se encontrase
nosotrosnos encontrásemos
vosotrosos encontraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se encontrasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yome haya encontrado
te hayas encontrado
voste hayas encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se haya encontrado
nosotrosnos hayamos encontrado
vosotrosos hayáis encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hayan encontrado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yome hubiera encontrado
te hubieras encontrado
voste hubieras encontrado
él/ella/Ud.se hubiera encontrado
nosotrosnos hubiéramos encontrado
vosotrosos hubierais encontrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hubieran encontrado

Other forms

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yome estoy encontrando
te estás encontrando
voste estás encontrando
él/ella/Ud.se está encontrando
nosotrosnos estamos encontrando
vosotrosos estáis encontrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se están encontrando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yome estuve encontrando
te estuviste encontrando
voste estuviste encontrando
él/ella/Ud.se estuvo encontrando
nosotrosnos estuvimos encontrando
vosotrosos estuvisteis encontrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estuvieron encontrando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yome estaba encontrando
te estabas encontrando
voste estabas encontrando
él/ella/Ud.se estaba encontrando
nosotrosnos estábamos encontrando
vosotrosos estabais encontrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estaban encontrando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yome estaría encontrando
te estarías encontrando
voste estarías encontrando
él/ella/Ud.se estaría encontrando
nosotrosnos estaríamos encontrando
vosotrosos estaríais encontrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarían encontrando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yome estaré encontrando
te estarás encontrando
voste estarás encontrando
él/ella/Ud.se estará encontrando
nosotrosnos estaremos encontrando
vosotrosos estaréis encontrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarán encontrando