The verb finden is a common irregular verb meaning “to find.” It appears in many contexts, from literally finding something to expressing opinions. As a strong (irregular) verb, it changes its stem vowel in the past tense and past participle but follows regular patterns in other forms. It can also be combined with prefixes to create new verbs with related meanings.
Conjugation
Present Tense (Präsens)
finden - to find
| Person | Singular (German) | Singular (English) | Plural (German) | Plural (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| st | ich finde | I find | wir finden | we find |
| nd | du findest | you find | ihr findet | you (pl.) find |
| rd | er/sie/es findet | he/she/it finds | sie finden | they find |
Sie ______ den Weg zum Bahnhof.
findet
'Sie' (she) uses the '-t' ending in the present tense, so the correct form is 'findet'.
Simple Past (Präteritum)
finden - fand
| Person | Singular (German) | Singular (English) | Plural (German) | Plural (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| st | ich fand | I found | wir fanden | we found |
| nd | du fandest | you found | ihr fandet | you (pl.) found |
| rd | er/sie/es fand | he/she/it found | sie fanden | they found |
Past Participle (Partizip II)
gefunden
Used with auxiliary verbs haben (to have) in perfect tenses.
Present Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Singular (German) | Singular (English) | Plural (German) | Plural (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| st | ich habe gefunden | I have found | wir haben gefunden | we have found |
| nd | du hast gefunden | you have found | ihr habt gefunden | you (pl.) have found |
| rd | er/sie/es hat gefunden | he/she/it has found | sie haben gefunden | they have found |
Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)
Used for hypothetical situations or polite requests.
| Person | Singular (German) | Singular (English) | Plural (German) | Plural (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| st | ich fände | I would find | wir fänden | we would find |
| nd | du fändest | you would find | ihr fändet | you (pl.) would find |
| rd | er/sie/es fände | he/she/it would find | sie fänden | they would find |
Usage
Literal Meaning: to find something
Use finden when someone discovers or locates an object, place, or person.
- Ich finde meinen Schlüssel nicht. — I can’t find my key.
- Hast du das Buch gefunden? — Did you find the book?
Expressing Opinions: finden + adjective
finden is also used to express opinions or judgments. The pattern is:
[subject] + finden + [noun/ pronoun] + [adjective]
- Ich finde das interessant. — I find that interesting. / I think that’s interesting.
- Wie findest du den Film? — How do you find the movie? / What do you think of the movie?
Reflexive Meaning (sich finden)
When used reflexively as sich finden, it means “to find oneself” or “to be reconciled.”
- Nach der Reise habe ich mich gefunden. — After the trip, I found myself.
- Sie haben sich wieder gefunden. — They found each other again (were reconciled).
They found each other again.
Sie haben sich wieder gefunden.
'sich wiederfinden' means "to find each other again" or "be reconciled."
Compound Forms with Prefixes
finden can combine with prefixes to form new verbs:
- auffinden — to locate, to track down
- wiederfinden — to find again, to recover
- zusammenfinden — to come together, unite
Example:
- Wir haben die verlorene Uhr wiedergefunden. — We found the lost watch again.
Examples
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich finde den Weg zum Bahnhof. | I find the way to the train station. |
| Sie fand die Antwort schnell. | She found the answer quickly. |
| Wir haben die Tickets online gefunden. | We found the tickets online. |
| Wie findest du das neue Restaurant? | What do you think of the new restaurant? |
| Ich fände es besser, wenn du zu Hause bleibst. | I would find it better if you stayed home. (It would be better if you stayed home.) |
Ich fände es besser, wenn du zu Hause bleibst.
- I would find it better if you stayed home.
- It would be better if you stayed home.
'fände' is Subjunctive II, expressing a polite or hypothetical suggestion.
Summary
- finden means “to find” and can express discovering something or having an opinion.
- It is irregular in the past tense and past participle (fand / gefunden).
- Use finden + [adjective] to share opinions.
- Reflexive form sich finden means “to find oneself.”
- Prefixes like wiederfinden and auffinden create related verbs.
Flashcards (1 of 17)
- Person: 1st
- Singular (English): I find
- Plural (English): we find
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
