trouver at A2 — the past tenses
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One found thing, or a state of mind that lasted?
Finding things in the past
J’ai trouvé is the everyday past: a single discovery with a clear end. « J’ai trouvé un appartement » — the search finished, you have the flat.
The imperfect je trouvais almost always carries the opinion sense instead: « je trouvais ça bizarre » — that was how it seemed to me, over a stretch of time. This is one of the clearest verbs for feeling the difference between the two pasts.
💡 Focus at this level: Past — what you found
👨🏫 How to use « trouver » at this level
1. Discovery = passé composé. If you can point to the moment, use j’ai trouvé.
2. Opinion = imperfect. « Je trouvais » describes how something struck you, not a single event.
3. Say « j’ai trouvé ! » out loud. It is the French « found it! » and you will use it weekly.
🎮 Practise « trouver »
Play the free French games → · Back to the full « trouver » chart →