Phrasal Verb: Find out

Phrasal verbs can feel a bit scary at first. But do not worry at all! They are just two words working together as a team. In this case, we have the verb find and the particle out. When they join, they create a brand new meaning. Find usually means looking for your physical shoes or keys. But find out is about information and facts. It is a mental action, not a physical one. You use it when your brain receives new data. It is like a lightbulb suddenly turning on in your head. One moment you are in the dark. The next moment, you know the truth! It is a very simple and logical pattern. You will master it with just a little bit of practice.

1. 1First, start with the base verb find.
2. 2Remember that find is an irregular verb.
3. 3In the present tense, use find or finds.
4. 4Use finds only for he, she, or it.
5. 5For the past tense, use the word found.
6. 6Never say "finded" because that word does not exist!
7. 7Next, always add the word out directly after.
8. 8You can say find out the time easily.
9. 9You can also say find the time out if you like.
10. 10If you use a pronoun like it, put it in the middle.
11. 11Always say find it out for the best flow.
12. 12This pattern works for questions and negative sentences too.

Use this phrase for many real-world situations every day. Imagine you are at a job interview right now. You want to know the monthly salary. You ask the manager to find out the pay. Or imagine you are traveling in a new city. You need to know the correct train platform. You look at the big screen to find out. It is perfect for checking facts and figures. Use it when you learn a friend's birthday. Use it when you discover a great new restaurant. It is excellent for solving small mysteries in life. Did someone eat your last piece of cake? You need to find out who did it! It is the perfect verb for curious people. Use it whenever you gain new knowledge or data.

There are times when find out is the wrong choice. Do not use it for physical objects you lost. If you lost your wallet, just use the verb find. Don't say "I need to find out my wallet." That sounds like the wallet is hiding a secret! Also, do not use it for meeting people. If you want to meet a new person, say meet. Don't say "I want to find out a new friend." That sounds very strange to a native speaker. It sounds like a science experiment! Finally, do not use it for learning skills. If you are learning the piano, just use learn. Find out is for facts, not for physical talents. Keep it simple and very specific.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the word out entirely. Many learners just say "I found the truth." This is okay, but found out is more natural. Another mistake is using the wrong past tense. Remember, it is always found out in the past. Please do not use "finded" in your writing. That is a common trap for many beginners. Also, watch your word order with small pronouns. Saying find out it is a very common mistake. Always put the it in the middle: find it out. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! Just take your time and practice slowly. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go with the right word order!

Let's compare find out with the word learn. Learn is usually a very long process. You learn a new language over many months. Find out is a very quick moment. It happens instantly like a flash. Now, let's look at the word discover. Discover is very formal and feels very big. Scientists discover new planets in space. You find out what is for dinner tonight. One is for history books and science. The other is for your normal daily life. Finally, compare it to the word search. Search is the action of looking. Find out is the final result of that search. You search the web to find out the weather.