verb

entdecken

discover

Etwas Neues finden oder zum ersten Mal sehen.

Definition & meaning

entdecken is a German verb meaning “to discover,” “to find,” or “to uncover.”

It is used when someone:

finds something that was previously unknown or unnoticed:
She discovered a new island.
notices or detects something:
The doctor detected a small abnormality.
finds something hidden or reveals something concealed:
They uncovered a secret.
discovers a talent, interest, or aspect of themselves:
He discovered his passion for music.

Depending on the context, entdecken can therefore mean both physically finding something and becoming aware of something previously unknown.

Grammar & Word origin

Word class: verb
Infinitive: entdecken
Present tense, third-person singular: entdeckt
Simple past: entdeckte
Past participle: entdeckt
Auxiliary verb: haben
Perfect tense: hat entdeckt

Entdecken is a non-separable verb. The prefix ent- often expresses removal, emergence, or a change from a concealed state. It is combined with decken , meaning “to cover.” Historically, the word therefore has the idea of “removing a cover” or “revealing what was hidden.”

Related reflexive use:

sich entdecken : to discover oneself or one’s abilities

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

finden : “to find”; more general and often simply describes locating something, whereas entdecken emphasizes that it was previously unknown or unnoticed.
aufdecken : “to uncover” or “to expose”; especially common for secrets, crimes, or hidden facts.
aufspüren : “to track down” or “to locate”; emphasizes searching for something difficult to find.
erkennen : “to recognize” or “to realize”; focuses on understanding or identifying something rather than finding it.
bemerken : “to notice”; usually refers to becoming aware of something, not necessarily finding something new.

Antonyms

verbergen : “to hide” or “to conceal”; the direct opposite when something is deliberately kept from view.
verstecken : “to hide”; usually refers to physically putting something where it cannot be seen.
übersehen : “to overlook” or “to fail to notice”; describes not discovering something that is present.
geheim halten : “to keep secret”; focuses on preventing information from being revealed.

Common phrases & collocations

eine neue Art entdecken — to discover a new species
ein unbekanntes Land entdecken — to discover an unknown land
einen Fehler entdecken [einen%20Fehler%20entdecken](vocabuo://word einen%20Fehler%20entdecken) — to discover or notice an error
ein Geheimnis entdecken — to discover a secret
ein Talent entdecken — to discover a talent
die Welt entdecken — to explore or discover the world
etwas Neues entdecken — to discover something new