finden
to find
To discover something or someone by searching or by chance.
EXAMPLE
Ich kann meine Brille einfach nicht finden.
I simply can't find my glasses.
finden
to find
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Meanings
finden
to find
To have a particular opinion about something or someone; to judge something in a particular way.
EXAMPLE
Wie findest du mein neues Kleid?
How do you find my new dress?
finden
to find
To obtain something abstract such as a solution, a compromise, peace, or sleep.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen schnell eine Lösung für dieses Problem finden.
We have to quickly find a solution to this problem.
sich finden
to turn up
Something or someone becomes available or appears, often without active searching.
EXAMPLE
Es wird sich sicher eine Gelegenheit finden, darüber zu sprechen.
An opportunity to talk about it will surely turn up.
sich in etwas finden
to adjust to
To come to terms with or get used to an often unpleasant situation.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Umzug musste er sich erst in die neue Umgebung finden.
After the move, he first had to adjust to the new surroundings.
sich einfinden
to appear
To arrive or appear at a specific place (formal).
EXAMPLE
Alle Teilnehmer werden gebeten, sich bis 9 Uhr im Saal einzufinden.
All participants are asked to appear in the hall by 9 a.m.
Usage tips
Context clue: sentence structure
The sentence structure reveals the meaning: If the object is followed by an adjective, 'finden' usually means 'to have an opinion'. If only an object follows, it generally means 'to discover'.
EXAMPLE
Ich finde den neuen Kollegen.
I find the new colleague.
Expressing an opinion
The structure 'Ich finde + accusative object + adjective' is a very common and natural way to express a personal opinion. Alternatively, you can also use a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that).
EXAMPLE
Ich finde diese Idee ausgezeichnet.
I find this idea excellent.
Typical collocations
For abstract goals, 'finden' is often used in fixed collocations. Typical examples are: 'eine Lösung finden' (to find a solution), 'Ruhe finden' (to find peace), 'Arbeit finden' (to find work), or 'einen Kompromiss finden' (to find a compromise).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Tag wollte er nur noch seine Ruhe finden.
After the long day, he just wanted to find some peace.
Reflexive: `sich finden`
The reflexive form 'sich finden' means that something becomes available by itself or unexpectedly. The subject here is the thing that appears, not the person who is searching.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, es wird sich schon eine Lösung finden.
Don't worry, a solution will turn up.
Reflexive with preposition
The expression 'sich in etwas finden' describes a process of acceptance or adjustment. It is always used with the preposition 'in' and the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Er musste sich erst in seine neue Rolle als Teamleiter finden.
He first had to adjust to his new role as team leader.
Formal usage
The meaning 'sich einfinden' (to appear/arrive) is formal and is often used in official requests or announcements. It means to appear at a specific place.
EXAMPLE
Die Gäste werden gebeten, sich pünktlich im Foyer einzufinden.
Guests are asked to appear punctually in the foyer.
Compare with
finden vs halten
to hold
Both verbs can express a personal evaluation. With finden, the evaluation usually follows directly, for example with an adjective; halten requires the construction “etwas für etwas halten.” Both forms are possible, but the sentence structure determines which word to use.
finden
Ich finde den neuen Film sehr spannend.
I find the new film very exciting.
halten
Ich halte den neuen Film für sehr spannend.
I consider the new film very exciting.
In real life
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