découvrir

to discover, to find out

verb deh-koo-VREER Common

Also means

to uncover, to expose

Usage Note

Découvrir conjugates like ouvrir (to open) — an irregular verb with a past participle découvert. Beyond geographical discovery (Christophe Colomb a découvert l'Amérique), it is used for personal discovery and revelations. Se découvrir means to uncover oneself or to discover something about oneself.

Examples

"Ils ont découvert une nouvelle espèce."

Natural Translation

They discovered a new species.

Literal Translation

They have discovered a new species

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