find

/faɪnd/ (bre, ipa) · /faɪnd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfīnd/ (ame, mw)

find — 動詞

  • findpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • findshe / she / it
  • foundpast simple
  • finding-ing form

1. to see, get back, or learn the position of someone or something, after looking f

1.動詞及物A1
釋義

找到

經尋找或偶然發現某人或某物的位置

to see, get back, or learn the position of someone or something, after looking for them or by chance.

例句

Andrés found his train ticket stuck between the pages of a notebook.

Andrés 在筆記本的頁縫間找到了他的火車票。

find + object: discovering a lost item

Hugo searched the whole house but could not find his car keys anywhere.

Hugo 找遍了整間房子，但到處都找不到他的車鑰匙。

negative form: could not find

同義詞
  • discover

    more formal, often used for new or important things

  • locate

    more formal, implies a deliberate search with a specific target

  • uncover

    implies revealing something that was hidden or covered

反義詞
  • lose

    opposite meaning — to no longer know where something is

文法句型

find + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used with a direct object that names the lost or sought item; also compatible with wh-clauses such as 'find where' or 'find how'. For ongoing search (before discovery), prefer 'look for' instead of 'find'.

常見錯誤

❌I am finding my passport.' (when still searching)
✅I am looking for my passport.
💡'find' describes the moment of discovery, not the search itself.
❌I finded my phone under the bed.
✅I found my phone under the bed.
💡'find' is irregular: find → found → found.

2. to become aware of a fact or the existence of something through direct experienc

2.動詞及物A2
釋義

得知

透過經驗察覺某事物為真

to become aware of a fact or the existence of something through direct experience, without necessarily having searched for it.

例句

Noa found that drinking more water stopped her headaches in the afternoon.

Noa 發現多喝水之後，她下午就不會頭痛了。

find + that-clause: discovering a fact through experience

Arjun opened the drawer and found the old letters his grandmother had saved.

Arjun 打開抽屜，發現了祖母保存的那些舊信。

同義詞
  • discover

    more formal, emphasises first-time knowledge

  • realize

    emphasises the internal mental shift

  • notice

    focuses on perceiving with senses

反義詞

文法句型

find + (that) + clause

find + it + adjective + to-infinitive

find + object + complement

用法筆記

Often takes a that-clause (find that…) or a wh-clause (find why / how / what…). Also very common in the pattern find + it + adjective + to-infinitive, where 'it' is a placeholder for the real subject (the infinitive phrase).

常見錯誤

❌I found she is a nurse' (when you already knew)
✅I found out she is a nurse.
💡'find' (realize) works for new discoveries; 'find out' is better for learning information through deliberate effort.

3. to form a specific reaction or opinion about a person or thing based on what you

3.動詞及物A2
釋義

覺得；認為

對某人某事物有特定感受或看法

to form a specific reaction or opinion about a person or thing based on what you have directly seen, heard, or experienced.

例句

Imani found the documentary about ocean pollution deeply upsetting but very important.

Imani 覺得那部關於海洋污染的紀錄片令人深感不安，但也非常重要。

find + object + adjective

Diya finds her new manager very supportive and easy to talk to about problems.

Diya 覺得她的新主管很支持她，而且很好溝通。

find + someone + adjective phrase

同義詞
  • consider

    slightly more formal; often used for deliberate, careful opinions

  • think

    less structured grammatically; 'think' takes a that-clause rather than object + complement

文法句型

find + someone/something + adjective/noun

find + it + adjective + that-clause

用法筆記

The complement after the object is essential — you cannot say 'I find the film' without an adjective or noun completing the meaning. The 'it' pattern ('I find it strange that...') is very common in spoken English.

常見錯誤

❌I find the film.
✅I find the film boring.
💡'find' in this sense always needs a complement describing your opinion.
❌I find the food is delicious.
✅I find the food delicious.
💡Use an adjective directly after the object, not a 'that' clause with 'be'.
❌I find that the movie is interesting.
✅I find the movie interesting.' OR 'I find it interesting that...
💡The direct object + complement pattern is more natural.

4. to exist, grow, or be available in a particular place — often used to describe w

4.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

存在

存在於某處

to exist, grow, or be available in a particular place — often used to describe where plants, animals, objects, or features naturally occur.

例句

These wild orchids are only found in the cloud forests of Central America.

這些野生蘭花只有在中美洲的雲霧森林裡才找得到。

passive: are found + location — describing where something exists

Mert was surprised to find deer living in the woods behind his house.

Mert 驚訝地發現他家後面的樹林裡住著鹿群。

同義詞
  • exist

    more direct, but less natural in location descriptions

  • occur

    more formal, often used for natural phenomena or minerals

  • grow

    specific to plants and living things

文法句型

be found + in/on/at + location

can be found + location

用法筆記

Typically used in the passive voice (is / are found) or with the modal can / could. The active form implies a discoverer who encounters the thing, while the passive simply states its existence in that location.

5. to succeed in reaching a place or getting to a destination, especially when the

5.動詞及物B1
釋義

到達

成功抵達目的地或找到正確路線

to succeed in reaching a place or getting to a destination, especially when the route is not obvious.

例句

After getting lost twice, Bilal finally found the entrance to the old temple.

Bilal 迷路了兩次，終於找到了那座古廟的入口。

find + the entrance: reaching a destination after difficulty

Feng used a compass to find his way through the thick forest.

Feng 用指南針在茂密的森林中找到了路。

find + possessive + way: find one's way to a place

同義詞
  • reach

    more direct, does not imply difficulty or searching

  • locate

    formal, focuses on discovering the position

  • get to

    informal, everyday language

反義詞

文法句型

find + noun phrase (way / path / exit / route)

用法筆記

Commonly used with possessive determiners in the phrase find + one's way / path / route. The object is usually a location, exit, or opening — not an abstract goal.

常見錯誤

❌I found to the station.
✅I found the station.' or 'I found my way to the station.
💡'find' in this sense takes a direct object, not a prepositional phrase.

6. used when a person becomes part of a situation, place, or activity and only late

6.動詞reflexiveB1
釋義

發現自己處於

意外發現自己處於某種情況或狀態

used when a person becomes part of a situation, place, or activity and only later notices it, having not planned to be there.

例句

After the argument, Élise found herself sitting alone on a bench in the park.

爭吵過後，Élise 發現自己獨自坐在公園的長椅上。

find + oneself + verb-ing: unintentional action

Sade moved to London and soon found herself working at a busy children's hospital.

Sade 搬到倫敦後，很快發現自己在一家繁忙的兒童醫院工作。

同義詞
  • end up

    informal, implies the final result after a series of events

  • wind up

    informal, similar to 'end up' but more conversational

  • realize you are

    more literal and less idiomatic

文法句型

find + oneself + present participle

find + oneself + adjective

find + oneself + prepositional phrase

用法筆記

Always used with a reflexive pronoun (find myself / yourself / himself / herself / ourselves / themselves). The complement after the reflexive pronoun can be a present participle (verb-ing), an adjective, or a prepositional phrase describing a place or state.

常見錯誤

❌I found me in a strange city.
✅I found myself in a strange city.
💡the reflexive pronoun 'myself' is required; the object pronoun 'me' is incorrect.
❌She found herself to be lost.' (awkward)
✅She found herself lost.
💡no 'to be' needed; the adjective directly follows the reflexive pronoun.

7. to notice and point out things that are wrong with someone or something, often i

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

挑剔

批評或找出缺點、錯誤

to notice and point out things that are wrong with someone or something, often in an unfair or overly critical way.

例句

Christopher was always finding fault with his younger sister's cooking.

Christopher 總是挑剔妹妹的廚藝。

collocation: find fault with someone

The inspector found several serious problems in the building's electrical wiring.

檢查員在大樓的電線系統中發現了幾個嚴重的問題。

collocation: find problems in something

同義詞
  • criticize

    more general; can be constructive or destructive

  • pick on

    informal, implies unfair targeting of someone

  • nitpick

    informal, focuses on small or unimportant details

反義詞
  • praise

    opposite — to express approval or admiration

  • compliment

    opposite — to say something positive

文法句型

find + fault + with + noun phrase

find + mistakes/problems/errors + in + noun phrase

用法筆記

Most commonly used in the fixed phrase find + fault + with, or with find + mistakes/problems/errors + in. The tone is often negative and implies the critic is being too strict or looking deliberately for flaws.

常見錯誤

❌He found fault on my essay.
✅He found fault with my essay.
💡the correct preposition after 'find fault' is 'with', not 'on' or 'in'.

8. to travel, try new experiences, or change your way of living so that you learn w

8.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

探索真我

透過旅行或新體驗發現自己的真實性格

to travel, try new experiences, or change your way of living so that you learn what kind of person you truly are and what you really want from life.

例句

Christopher traveled through India for a year, hoping to find himself through meditation and new experiences.

Christopher 在印度旅行了一年，希望透過冥想和新的體驗來探索真我。

find + yourself + through/by + activity

Salma quit her corporate job and hiked in the Andes for six months to find herself.

Salma 辭去企業工作，在安地斯山脈健行六個月，藉此探索真我。

infinitive of purpose: to find yourself

同義詞

文法句型

find + yourself + through/by + activity

go/do something to find yourself

用法筆記

Reflexive: the object is always 'yourself', 'himself', 'herself', 'myself', etc. Frequently used in the context of a major life change such as travel, a career shift, or time spent in solitude.

常見錯誤

❌He went to Japan to find himself a new hobby.
✅He went to Japan to find himself.
💡'find yourself' in this sense is about self-discovery, not about obtaining something.

9. (of a judge, jury, or court) to officially decide and declare someone's legal st

9.動詞及物B2
釋義

判定；裁決

法庭在審理證據後做出正式法律認定

(of a judge, jury, or court) to officially decide and declare someone's legal status after examining all the evidence in a trial, for example whether they are guilty or not.

例句

The jury found the defendant guilty of stealing money from the children's charity.

陪審團判定被告從兒童慈善機構偷錢的罪名成立。

find + someone + guilty of + crime

Hari was found not guilty because the police had no real evidence against him.

Hari 被判無罪，因為警方沒有任何確鑿的證據來指控他。

passive: be found not guilty

同義詞
  • rule

    broader — used for any court decision, not just verdicts on guilt

  • determine

    more formal and technical; less common in everyday news reporting of trials

文法句型

find + someone + adjective (guilty/not guilty/liable)

be found + adjective

用法筆記

Frequently passive: 'was found guilty / not guilty'. The object complement is almost always a legal-status adjective: guilty, not guilty, liable, negligent, innocent. Do not confuse with 'find' meaning 'discover' — this sense is restricted to formal legal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The judge found him criminal.
✅The judge found him guilty.
💡The correct legal adjective is 'guilty', not 'criminal'.
❌She was found innocent of the charges.' (This is accepted in general use but courts prefer 'not guilty').
✅She was found not guilty of the charges.
💡'Not guilty' is the precise legal verdict.

find — 名詞