見つけた
mitsuketa
In Japanese, 'I found you' is expressed as 見つけた (mitsuketa).
The phrase is used when someone locates a person they have been searching for. In Japanese, the subject (I) and the object (you) are often omitted when they are clear from the context, so 'mitsuketa' alone functions as 'I found you'.
Which one should you use?
While 見つけた is the standard past tense, 見っけた is a colloquial and abbreviated form of 'mitsuketa'. For a more formal way to say 'I found you', use 見つけました. If you wish to say you caught sight of someone formally, use お見かけしました.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle よ to the end makes the statement sound more like a discovery being announced to the other person.
How do you pronounce it?
mitsuketa
Did you know?
- The verb inside 見つけた is a compound of 見, meaning 'to see', and つける, which can mean 'to attach' or 'to fix'.
- When someone is 'found' in a romantic or destiny-driven sense, such as finding a soulmate, the word 出会い 'deai' is used instead of 見つけた.
- In the game of hide and seek, the seeker says 見つけた the moment they spot a hider, but the hider might shout 見つかった to admit they have been found.
Examples in context
- やっと君を見つけたよ！I finally found you!
- あっ、君見っけた！Oh, I found you!
- やっと見つけたよ。Yatto mitsuketa yo.I finally found you.
- 隠れてても、見つけたよ。Kakurete temo, mitsuketa yo.Even if you hide, I found you.
Example conversation
Himari is playing hide-and-seek with Ren.
- 陽葵 Himariどこに隠れているのかな？Doko ni kakurete iru no kana?I wonder where you are hiding?
- 蓮 Renしーっ！Shii!Shhh!
- 陽葵 Himariあ！見つけた！A! Mitsuketa!Ah! I found you!
- 蓮 Renあー！見つかった！Aa! Mitsukatta!Ah! I've been found!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 見つけた, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
