incontrare
/in.konˈtra.re/
To meet in Italian is incontrare.
incontrare is used when you come face to face with someone by arrangement or encounter them.
Meaning: to come face to face with someone by arrangement (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use incontrare for meeting someone by arrangement or encountering them, but use conoscere if you mean 'to meet' in the sense of being introduced to someone for the first time.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of incontrare is incontrato. The first-person plural present indicative form is incontriamo and the second-person singular present indicative form is incontri.
How do you pronounce it?
/in.konˈtra.re/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian verb incontrare shares a root with the English word 'encounter'. Both derive from a Latin term meaning to go against or come face to face with something.
- In Italy, if you are arranging to incontrare someone at a specific time, it is culturally common for both parties to arrive slightly later than the agreed hour, especially in social settings.
- The word incontro can refer to a sports match or a boxing bout, using the concept of 'meeting' to describe a competitive clash.
Examples in context
- Io devo incontrare Tom.I must meet Tom.This sentence is useful for showing how to use incontrare with a direct object.Tatoeba #2557323 by Guybrush88, translation #2387285 by CK
- Non li voglio incontrare.I don't want to meet them.Tatoeba #5989725 by Guybrush88, translation #3912234 by CH
- Dove li posso incontrare?Where can I meet them?This sentence is useful for asking a question using incontrare.Tatoeba #6030760 by Guybrush88, translation #3912360 by CH
- Mi piacerebbe incontrarti per una cena di lavoro.I would like to meet you for a business dinner.
- Ho avuto il piacere di conoscerla ieri alla conferenza.I had the pleasure of meeting you yesterday at the conference.
- Mi farebbe piacere far la sua conoscenza.I would be pleased to make your acquaintance.
- Potremmo vederci al parco domani.We could meet at the park tomorrow.
- Ho conosciuto Marco ieri sera in discoteca.I met Marco last night at the club.
- Ci vediamo al ristorante domani?Shall we meet at the restaurant tomorrow?
- 178 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are planning a business meeting.
- SofiaQuando possiamo incontrare il cliente?When can we meet the client?
- AlessandroIl cliente è libero domani mattina.The client is free tomorrow morning.
- SofiaOttimo, voglio incontrare lui di persona.Great, I want to meet him in person.
- AlessandroPerfetto, allora fissiamo l'appuntamento.Perfect, then let's set the appointment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meet” translations and entries incontrare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries incontrare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
