How to say "find" in Japanese

• 見つけるみつけるJLPT N4approx.Common
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers the broad senses of 'find': locating something you are looking for, discovering it, coming across it by chance, or spotting it — your keys, a parking space, a familiar face in a crowd.
  探さがしていた珍本ちんぽんを見みつけた。↗

  I found a rare book I had been looking for.
• 掘り当てるほりあてるCommon
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'find' only in the sense of striking or digging something up: gold, oil, buried treasure. For any other kind of finding it is not the word you want; for that, use 見つける.
• 拾うひろうJLPT N4approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbCovers 'find' only when you pick up something someone has dropped, such as a wallet in the street; the picking-up is part of the meaning, so it does not cover finding in general.
  この財布さいふはどこで拾ひろったのですか。↗

  Where did you find this wallet?

Use 「見つける」 for finding in general — locating, discovering, coming across, or spotting something; 「掘り当てる」 only for striking or digging up gold, oil, or buried treasure; and 「拾う」 only for finding and picking up something someone has dropped.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 見つけるみつけるto find
• 掘り当てるほりあてるto strike (gold, oil, etc.)
• 探し当てるさがしあてるto find (after searching everywhere)
• めっけるto find
• みっけるto find
• 儲けものもうけものgood bargain
• めっけもんbargain
• ありつくto get
• 掘り出し物ほりだしもの(lucky) find
• 拾うひろうto find (and pick up; something someone has dropped)
• つかまるto find (e.g. proof)
• 求めるもとめるto seek
• 拾い物ひろいもの(lucky) find