trovar

Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto trovi, from French trouver and Italian trovare.

Verb

trovar (present tense trovas, past tense trovis, future tense trovos, imperative trovez, conditional trovus)

1. to find

Conjugation

Conjugation of trovar

		present		past		future
infinitive		trovar		trovir		trovor
tense		trovas		trovis		trovos
conditional		trovus		—		—
imperative		trovez		—		—
adjective active participle		trovanta		trovinta		trovonta
adverbial active participle		trovante		trovinte		trovonte
nominal active participle	singular	trovanto		trovinto		trovonto
	plural	trovanti		trovinti		trovonti
adjective passive participle		trovata		trovita		trovota
adverbial passive participle		trovate		trovite		trovote
nominal passive participle	singular	trovato		trovito		trovoto
	plural	trovati		troviti		trovoti

Interlingua

Verb

trovar

1. to find

Conjugation

    Conjugation of trovar

infinitive		trovar
participle		present	perfect
		trovante	trovate
active		simple	perfect
	present	trova	ha trovate
	past	trovava	habeva trovate
	future	trovara	habera trovate
	conditional	trovarea	haberea trovate
	imperative	trova	—
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es trovate	ha essite trovate
	past	esseva trovate	habeva essite trovate
	future	essera trovate	habera essite trovate
	conditional	esserea trovate	haberea essite trovate
	imperative	sia trovate	—

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /troˈvar/
• Rhymes: -ar
• Hyphenation: tro‧vàr

Verb

trovar (apocopated)

1. apocopic form of trovare

Occitan

Alternative forms

• trobar

Etymology

From Old Occitan trobar, from Vulgar Latin *tropāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tʀu.ˈva]

Verb

trovar

1. (transitive) to find

Conjugation

    Niçard

		simple			compound
infinitive		trovar [tʀuvˈa]			aver trovat [tʀuvˈa(te)]
gerund		trovant [tʀuvˈãŋ]			use gerund of èstre + past participle
past participle		trovat [tʀuvˈa(te)]			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	eu, ela	nautres	vautres	elu, eli
	present	tròvi [tʀˈɔvi]	tròves [tʀˈɔves]	tròva [tʀˈɔva]	trovam1, trovèm [tʀuvˈãŋ], [tʀuvˈɛ̃ŋ]	trovatz1, trovètz [tʀuvˈas], [tʀuvˈɛs]	tròvon [tʀˈɔvu(ŋ)]
	imperfect	trovavi [tʀuvˈavi]	trovaves [tʀuvˈaves]	trovava [tʀuvˈava]	trovavam [tʀuvavˈãŋ]	trovavatz [tʀuvavˈas]	trovàvon [tʀuvˈavu(ŋ)]
	preterite1	trovèri [tʀuvˈɛʀi]	trovères [tʀuvˈɛʀes]	trovèt [tʀuvˈɛ]	troveriam [tʀuveʀjˈãŋ]	troveriatz [tʀuverjˈas]	trovèron [tʀuvˈɛʀu(ŋ)]
	future	troverai [tʀuveʀˈai̯]	troveràs [tʀuveʀˈas]	troverà [tʀuveʀˈa]	troverèm [tʀuveʀˈɛ̃ŋ]	troverètz [tʀuveʀˈɛs]	troveràn [tʀuveʀˈãŋ]
	conditional	troverii [tʀuveʀˈiji]	troveries [tʀuveʀˈijes]	troveria [tʀuveʀˈija]	troveriavam [tʀuveʀjavˈãŋ]	troveriavatz [tʀuveʀjavˈas]	troverion [tʀuveʀˈiju(ŋ)]
	conditional 2nd form2	trovèro [tʀuvˈɛru]	trovèras [tʀuvˈɛrɔs]	trovèra, trovère [tʀuvˈɛrɔ], [tʀuvˈɛre]	troveram [tʀuverˈãŋ]	troveratz [tʀuverˈas]	trovèron [tʀuvˈɛru(ŋ)]
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que eu, ela	que nautres	que vautres	que elu, eli
	present	tròvi [tʀˈɔvi]	tròves [tʀˈɔves]	tròve [tʀˈɔve]	trovem [tʀuvˈẽŋ]	trovetz [tʀuvˈes]	tròvon [tʀˈɔvu(ŋ)]
	imperfect	trovessi [tʀuvˈesi]	trovesses [tʀuvˈeses]	trovesse [tʀuvˈese]	trovessiam1, trovessèm [tʀuvesjˈãŋ], [tʀuvesˈɛ̃ŋ]	trovessiatz1, trovessètz [tʀuvesjˈas], [tʀuvesˈɛs]	trovesson [tʀuvˈesu(ŋ)]
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nautres	vautres	—
			tròva [tʀˈɔva]		trovem [tʀuvˈẽŋ]	trovatz [tʀuvˈas]	1Mostly obsolete 2Attested extremely rarely in Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (06)
1 : formal

Related terms

• trobador

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese trobar, borrowed from Old Occitan trobar, which was inherited from Vulgar Latin *tropāre, from Latin tropus. Cognate with Galician trobar.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /tɾoˈva(ʁ)/ [tɾoˈva(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /tɾoˈva(ʁ)/ [tɾoˈva(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /tɾoˈva(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /tɾoˈva(ʁ)/ [tɾoˈva(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /tɾoˈva(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɾuˈvaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɾuˈvaɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɾuˈbaɾ/ [tɾuˈβaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɾuˈva.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: tro‧var

Verb

trovar (first-person singular present trovo, first-person singular preterite trovei, past participle trovado)

1. to compose verses or songs
2. (Rio Grande do Sul) to flirt with

   Tava trovando aquela guria, mas não deu certo. ― I was flirting with that girl, but it didn't go well.

3. (Rio Grande do Sul) to talk, to say

   O cara tava trovando umas coisas estranhas. ― The guy was saying some weird things.

   Para de trovar. ― Stop talking.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of trovar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	trovar
Personal	trovar	trovares	trovar	trovarmos	trovardes	trovarem
Gerund
	trovando
Past participle
Masculine	trovado			trovados
Feminine	trovada			trovadas
Indicative
Present	trovo	trovas	trova	trovamos	trovais	trovam
Imperfect	trovava	trovavas	trovava	trovávamos	trováveis	trovavam
Preterite	trovei	trovaste	trovou	trovamos1, trovámos2	trovastes	trovaram
Pluperfect	trovara	trovaras	trovara	trováramos	trováreis	trovaram
Future	trovarei	trovarás	trovará	trovaremos	trovareis	trovarão
Conditional	trovaria	trovarias	trovaria	trovaríamos	trovaríeis	trovariam
Subjunctive
Present	trove	troves	trove	trovemos	troveis	trovem
Imperfect	trovasse	trovasses	trovasse	trovássemos	trovásseis	trovassem
Future	trovar	trovares	trovar	trovarmos	trovardes	trovarem
Imperative
Affirmative		trova	trove	trovemos	trovai	trovem
Negative (não)		não troves	não trove	não trovemos	não troveis	não trovem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Synonyms

• poetar

References

• “trovar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “trovar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025
• “trovar”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “trovar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish trobar, from Old Occitan trobar, from Vulgar Latin *tropāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɾoˈbaɾ/ [t̪ɾoˈβ̞aɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: tro‧var

Verb

trovar (first-person singular present trovo, first-person singular preterite trové, past participle trovado)

1. (transitive) to versify, write poetry about something
2. (transitive) to misconstrue (figurative use)
3. (transitive, obsolete) to find, encounter, come across

   Synonyms: encontrar, hallar, pillar

   • ca. 1793-7, Leandro Fernández de Moratín, Viaje a Italia:

     Una dama que se halla a pie y sola en medio de un bosque quisiera trovar un comodo para volverse a la ciudad, esto es, una proporción de carruage que pueda conducirla.

     A lady who finds herself on foot and alone in the middle of a forest would like to find a couch with which to go back to the city, that is, any type of carriage that will drive her there.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of trovar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			trovar
gerund			trovando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		trovado		trovada
		plural		trovados		trovadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	trovo	trovastú trovásvos	trova	trovamos	trováis	trovan
	imperfect	trovaba	trovabas	trovaba	trovábamos	trovabais	trovaban
	preterite	trové	trovaste	trovó	trovamos	trovasteis	trovaron
	future	trovaré	trovarás	trovará	trovaremos	trovaréis	trovarán
	conditional	trovaría	trovarías	trovaría	trovaríamos	trovaríais	trovarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	trove	trovestú trovésvos2	trove	trovemos	trovéis	troven
	imperfect (ra)	trovara	trovaras	trovara	trováramos	trovarais	trovaran
	imperfect (se)	trovase	trovases	trovase	trovásemos	trovaseis	trovasen
	future1	trovare	trovares	trovare	trováremos	trovareis	trovaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		trovatú trovávos	trove	trovemos	trovad	troven
	negative		no troves	no trove	no trovemos	no trovéis	no troven

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of trovar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive trovar	dative	trovarme	trovarte	trovarle, trovarse	trovarnos	trovaros	trovarles, trovarse
	accusative	trovarme	trovarte	trovarlo, trovarla, trovarse	trovarnos	trovaros	trovarlos, trovarlas, trovarse
with gerund trovando	dative	trovándome	trovándote	trovándole, trovándose	trovándonos	trovándoos	trovándoles, trovándose
	accusative	trovándome	trovándote	trovándolo, trovándola, trovándose	trovándonos	trovándoos	trovándolos, trovándolas, trovándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative trova	dative	tróvame	tróvate	tróvale	tróvanos	not used	tróvales
	accusative	tróvame	tróvate	tróvalo, tróvala	tróvanos	not used	tróvalos, tróvalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative trová	dative	trovame	trovate	trovale	trovanos	not used	trovales
	accusative	trovame	trovate	trovalo, trovala	trovanos	not used	trovalos, trovalas
with formal second-person singular imperative trove	dative	tróveme	not used	tróvele, tróvese	tróvenos	not used	tróveles
	accusative	tróveme	not used	tróvelo, tróvela, tróvese	tróvenos	not used	tróvelos, tróvelas
with first-person plural imperative trovemos	dative	not used	trovémoste	trovémosle	trovémonos	trovémoos	trovémosles
	accusative	not used	trovémoste	trovémoslo, trovémosla	trovémonos	trovémoos	trovémoslos, trovémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative trovad	dative	trovadme	not used	trovadle	trovadnos	trovaos	trovadles
	accusative	trovadme	not used	trovadlo, trovadla	trovadnos	trovaos	trovadlos, trovadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative troven	dative	tróvenme	not used	tróvenle	tróvennos	not used	tróvenles, tróvense
	accusative	tróvenme	not used	tróvenlo, tróvenla	tróvennos	not used	tróvenlos, tróvenlas, tróvense

Derived terms

• trova

Further reading

• “trovar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025