Trouver is the most common and straightforward way to say "to find" in French. But what if you're looking for something specific, discovering a new idea, or even bumping into an old friend? Did you know there are many other options that can add nuance and precision to your French vocabulary?

As you learn French, you'll inevitably encounter situations where you need to express the concept of 'finding' something, whether it's an object, information, a solution, or even a person. Mastering these different expressions will significantly enrich your conversations and comprehension.

Let's explore 9 distinct ways to say "to find" in French, and discover the perfect context for each one!

The standard 'to find' – trouver

The standard “to find” – trouver

Trouver is the most common and versatile French verb for ‘to find’.

Its primary use is to refer to the act of physically locating something or someone that was lost or sought after. Think of it as 'to discover' or 'to come across'.

Trouver can also be used figuratively to express an opinion or to 'find' something to be a certain way, meaning 'to think' or 'to consider'. This is very common in everyday French.

You can also use trouver to describe 'finding' a certain result, situation, or experience. For example, 'to find a solution' or 'to find it easy'.

As a regular -er verb, trouver follows predictable conjugation patterns, making it relatively straightforward to learn.

Trouver is an essential verb for expressing discovery, opinion, and results in French, making it a cornerstone of daily conversation.

💡 * J'ai trouvé mes clés sous le canapé. (I found my keys under the sofa.)

• Je trouve que ce film est excellent. (I find that this movie is excellent / I think this movie is excellent.)
• Nous avons trouvé une solution au problème. (We found a solution to the problem.)
• Elle trouve ce livre très intéressant. (She finds this book very interesting.)
• Tu trouveras ton chemin. (You will find your way.)

The 'to discover' or 'to find out' – découvrir

The 'to discover' or 'to find out' – découvrir

The French verb découvrir is incredibly versatile, encompassing two main ideas: to discover (in the sense of uncovering something new or previously unknown) and to find out (in the sense of learning information or a secret).

When découvrir means to discover, it refers to finding a place, an object, or a concept that was previously hidden or unknown. Think of explorers discovering new lands or scientists discovering a new species.

In its second primary meaning, découvrir translates to to find out. This is about learning a piece of information, a fact, or a secret, often after some investigation or revelation. For example, you might découvrir that your friend is moving, or découvrir the truth about a mystery.

Découvrir belongs to a group of irregular -ir verbs that conjugate like ouvrir (to open). This means it doesn't follow the typical -ir verb pattern, but rather a pattern similar to -er verbs in the present tense (e.g., je découvre, tu découvres, il découvre, nous découvrons, vous découvrez, ils découvrent).

While trouver generally means 'to find' something that was lost or that you were looking for, découvrir implies an element of novelty or revelation. You trouve your keys, but you découvre a hidden talent or a new restaurant.

💡 * Christophe Colomb a découvert l'Amérique en 1492. (Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.)

• J'ai découvert la vérité hier soir. (I found out the truth last night.)
• Nous allons découvrir une nouvelle exposition au musée. (We are going to discover/explore a new exhibition at the museum.)
• Elle a découvert qu'il était parti sans dire au revoir. (She found out that he had left without saying goodbye.)
• Les archéologues ont découvert des ruines antiques. (The archaeologists discovered ancient ruins.)

The 'to meet' or 'to encounter' – rencontrer

The French verb rencontrer is a versatile and common verb that primarily means "to meet" or "to encounter." It can refer to meeting people, but also to coming across things or situations.

When you use rencontrer for people, it often implies a first-time meeting or an unplanned encounter. For instance, "J'ai rencontré Marie au café" means "I met Marie at the cafe" (suggesting for the first time or by chance).

Beyond people, rencontrer is also frequently used to describe encountering objects, ideas, or situations. For example, "J'ai rencontré des difficultés" translates to "I encountered difficulties," highlighting its broader sense of coming across something.

Rencontrer is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, similar to verbs like parler (to speak).

It's important to distinguish rencontrer from its reflexive form, se rencontrer. While rencontrer means "to meet (someone/something)," se rencontrer specifically means "to meet each other" or "to meet up." For example, "Nous nous sommes rencontrés au cinéma" means "We met each other at the cinema."

Its broad application makes rencontrer an essential verb for expressing interactions with both people and the world around you, from chance encounters to facing challenges or discovering new things.

💡 * J'ai rencontré un vieil ami hier. (I met an old friend yesterday.)

• Nous avons rencontré des problèmes inattendus. (We encountered unexpected problems.)
• Tu vas rencontrer ma famille ce soir. (You are going to meet my family tonight.)
• Elle a rencontré l'amour de sa vie. (She met the love of her life.)
• Où avez-vous rencontré cette idée? (Where did you encounter this idea?)

The 'to find again' or 'to recover' – retrouver

The verb retrouver in French primarily means “to find again” or “to recover.” It implies a previous loss or separation, or simply encountering something or someone once more.

It is widely used for both tangible objects and people. For instance, you might retrouver your lost wallet, or you could retrouver an old friend you haven't seen in years.

When used in its reflexive form, se retrouver, it means “to meet up” or “to gather.” This is very common when planning to meet friends or colleagues.

Another significant use of se retrouver is to express “to find oneself in a particular situation or place,” often implying an unexpected or unintended outcome.

💡 * Je dois retrouver mes clés. (I need to find my keys again.)

• Nous allons retrouver nos amis ce soir. (We are going to meet up with our friends tonight.)
• Il a retrouvé le sourire. (He found his smile again / He recovered his good mood.)
• Ils se sont retrouvés par hasard dans la même ville. (They found themselves by chance in the same city.)
• Je me retrouve seul à la maison. (I find myself alone at home.)

The 'to spot' or 'to locate' – repérer

The "to spot" or "to locate" – repérer

The French verb repérer generally means "to spot," "to locate," "to identify," or "to notice." It implies a deliberate act of finding or recognizing something or someone within a larger context.

It's frequently used when you visually identify or pinpoint something or someone. Think of spotting a friend in a crowd, locating a landmark on a map, or noticing a specific detail.

Beyond the physical, repérer can also refer to identifying or discerning trends, patterns, or subtle clues. For instance, a detective might repérer inconsistencies in a statement.

It's a regular -ER verb. A common reflexive form, se repérer, means "to find one's bearings" or "to orient oneself," especially in an unfamiliar place.

While similar to voir (to see) or trouver (to find), repérer often carries the nuance of successfully identifying or marking something after a period of looking or analysis.

💡 * J'ai repéré mon ami dans la foule. (I spotted my friend in the crowd.)

• Peux-tu repérer l'hôtel sur la carte ? (Can you locate the hotel on the map?)
• Il a repéré une erreur dans le rapport. (He identified an error in the report.)
• Nous nous sommes repérés grâce aux étoiles. (We found our bearings thanks to the stars.)
• La police a repéré le suspect près de la gare. (The police located the suspect near the station.)

The 'to unearth' or 'to ferret out' – dénicher

The French verb dénicher is a wonderfully expressive word that means 'to unearth,' 'to ferret out,' or 'to dig up.' It implies finding something that was hidden, difficult to access, or required some effort to discover.

Literally, dénicher comes from the word niche (a niche, but also a bird's nest or den). Its original meaning was 'to take from a nest' or 'to dislodge from a niche.' This physical sense is still used, for example, when talking about finding small animals.

More commonly, dénicher is used metaphorically to describe the act of finding something rare, a good deal, or a piece of information that wasn't immediately obvious. Think of it as 'sniffing out' or 'rooting out' a treasure.

It can also be applied to people, implying the discovery of a talented individual or someone sought after. For instance, a recruiter might dénicher a promising new artist or employee.

The key nuance of dénicher is the effort involved. It's not just finding something by chance, but actively seeking it out, often in obscure places, and succeeding in bringing it to light.

💡 * J'ai réussi à dénicher un appartement pas cher en plein centre-ville. (I managed to unearth a cheap apartment right in the city center.)

• Le journaliste a déniché des informations exclusives sur l'affaire. (The journalist ferreted out exclusive information about the case.)
• Elle a déniché une robe vintage magnifique dans une petite boutique. (She unearthed a magnificent vintage dress in a small boutique.)
• Le recruteur a déniché un jeune talent prometteur pour l'équipe. (The recruiter discovered a promising young talent for the team.)
• Il faut dénicher la bonne solution à ce problème complexe. (We need to ferret out the right solution to this complex problem.)

The 'to locate' – localiser

The French verb localiser directly translates to 'to locate' or 'to pinpoint' in English. It describes the action of finding the precise position or place of something or someone.

You'll frequently encounter localiser when discussing finding a specific place on a map, tracking a device, or identifying the exact origin of a problem or phenomenon. It emphasizes determining a precise, often geographical, location.

As a regular -er verb, localiser follows standard conjugation rules, making it relatively straightforward to use. It is a transitive verb, meaning it always takes a direct object, answering the question 'to locate what?' or 'to locate whom?'

💡 * Il faut localiser la source du problème. (We need to locate the source of the problem.)

• Peux-tu localiser mon téléphone avec le GPS ? (Can you locate my phone with the GPS?)
• Les secouristes ont réussi à localiser les randonneurs perdus. (The rescuers managed to locate the lost hikers.)
• C'est difficile de localiser ce petit village sur la carte. (It's difficult to locate this small village on the map.)

The 'to track down' or 'to trace' – dépister

The 'to track down' or 'to trace' – dépister

The verb dépister primarily means 'to track down,' 'to trace,' or 'to detect.' It implies an investigative effort to find something or someone that might be hidden or difficult to locate, often by following clues or a trail.

One of the most frequent and crucial uses of dépister is in a medical context, where it translates to 'to screen for' or 'to diagnose' a disease. It's about detecting the presence of an illness.

Beyond medicine, you'll use dépister when actively trying to locate the source of a problem, a person, or even an animal. It conveys the idea of an organized search or investigation to uncover something.

💡 * Il faut dépister la cause de cette panne. (We need to track down the cause of this breakdown.)

• Les médecins dépistent la maladie à un stade précoce. (Doctors screen for the disease at an early stage.)
• La police a réussi à dépister le suspect. (The police managed to track down the suspect.)
• Nous devons dépister les erreurs dans le code. (We must trace the errors in the code.)

The 'to come across' or 'to stumble upon' – tomber sur

The French verb tomber sur literally translates to “to fall on,” but its most common idiomatic meaning is “to come across,” “to stumble upon,” or “to happen upon” something or someone unexpectedly. It's a versatile phrase used in various situations, from finding an old friend to discovering a new piece of information.

When you tomber sur someone or something, it implies an unplanned or coincidental encounter. You didn't necessarily look for it; it just happened. This can be a physical encounter, like finding an object or meeting a person by chance.

Beyond physical encounters, tomber sur can also refer to discovering information, a solution, or a situation unexpectedly. For example, you might “stumble upon” an interesting article online or “come across” a problem while working.

As an intransitive verb, tomber sur conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. For instance, in the passé composé, it becomes je suis tombé(e) sur (I came across) for a male or female subject, respectively.

💡 * Je suis tombé sur un vieil ami au supermarché. (I came across an old friend at the supermarket.)

• Elle est tombée sur un article intéressant en ligne. (She stumbled upon an interesting article online.)
• Nous sommes tombés sur un problème inattendu. (We ran into an unexpected problem.)
• En rangeant, je suis tombé sur de vieilles photos. (While tidying up, I came across old photos.)
• Il est tombé sur la solution par hasard. (He happened upon the solution by chance.)

Are there other ways to say 'to find' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to find” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to find” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire trouver en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for trouver on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about finding things, or even finding yourself!

And if you’re looking for more nuances of 'to find' or related verbs in French, the WordReference entry for trouver is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Marcel Proust: Le vrai voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux. (The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.)