encontrar
/ẽ.kõnˈtɾaɾ/
Definition
To find something or someone, or to meet someone in a place.
Example
Não consigo encontrar as minhas chaves em casa.
Show translation
I can't find my keys at home.
Etymology
From Latin *incontrare*, meaning "to come face to face with," built from *in-* (into) + *contra* (against, opposite). The sense of "finding" developed naturally from the idea of coming up against something you were looking for.
Cultural note
In Brazilian Portuguese, *encontrar* covers both "to find" (an object) and "to meet/run into" (a person), making it twice as useful as its English equivalents. You'll also hear the reflexive *se encontrar* used to describe a planned meeting spot — *a gente se encontra na praça* (let's meet at the square) — as well as existentially, to mean "to find oneself" or feel at home somewhere.