Kilo Lingo

/tʁuve/

Line drawing of trouver
Coloured illustration of trouver
#93 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

to find, to think

Word origin

Of disputed origin; most often traced to Vulgar Latin tropare ('to compose, to invent a tune'), from Latin tropus ('a figure of speech'), from Greek tropos.

Origin
Latin
Root
tropare

Other proposed origins

  • Most often traced to Vulgar Latin tropare ('to compose, to invent'), from Latin tropus. (tropare)
  • Some derive it instead from a Vulgar Latin turbare ('to stir up'), as in disturbing water to find fish. (turbare)

Grammar

Verb type-er regular (1st group)

Conjugation

Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.

Indicative

Person PresentImperfectPast historicFutureConditional
jetrouvetrouvaistrouvaitrouveraitrouverais
tutrouvestrouvaistrouvastrouverastrouverais
il/elletrouvetrouvaittrouvatrouveratrouverait
noustrouvonstrouvionstrouvâmestrouveronstrouverions
voustrouveztrouvieztrouvâtestrouvereztrouveriez
ils/ellestrouventtrouvaienttrouvèrenttrouveronttrouveraient

Subjunctive

Person PresentImperfect
jetrouvetrouvasse
tutrouvestrouvasses
il/elletrouvetrouvât
noustrouvionstrouvassions
voustrouvieztrouvassiez
ils/ellestrouventtrouvassent

Imperative

Person Affirmative
tutrouve
noustrouvons
voustrouvez

Non-finite

Gerund / present participle
trouvant
Past participle
trouvé · trouvée · trouvés · trouvées

Examples

essaie .

She is trying to find a cheap flat in this neighbourhood.

cette ?

How did you manage to find this information so quickly?

cette .

I find this solution beautiful and simple to use.

' .

I can't manage to find my glasses this morning.

.

We found a charming little cafe near the station.

est un verbe du premier groupe très fréquent avec deux sens principaux : localiser quelque chose de cherché (trouver ses clés) et formuler un jugement ou une opinion (je trouve ça bizarre). La forme pronominale se trouver (to be located, to find oneself) est également très courante.

Aller trouver quelqu'un (to go and see someone, to approach someone) est une tournure idiomatique. Trouver à redire (to find fault with) exprime la critique : il trouve toujours à redire. Comment tu trouves (what do you think of) introduit une demande d'opinion esthétique ou qualitative dans la langue courante.

Where this fits

Used in

Add to review queue

Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.

Go to my review queue

French · Free printables

trouver: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the French word "trouver" (to find, to think): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

Free for members

The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.

Start your free week

This word is part of lesson 2.