From Vulgar Latin *incontrare* ("to come face to face with"), built on Latin *in-* ("against") + *contra* ("opposite, facing"). The shift from *incontrare* to *encontrar* followed regular Spanish sound changes, including the loss of initial unstressed *i-*. The reflexive form *encontrarse* ("to find oneself / to feel") extended the meaning further into emotional states.

Spanish speakers often use *encontrarse* (the reflexive) to describe how they feel: *¿Cómo te encuentras?* means "How are you feeling?" — a slightly warmer alternative to *¿Cómo estás?*. English speakers may be caught off guard by this use, since the literal reading ("How do you find yourself?") sounds odd in English but is perfectly natural in Spanish.