find out about — to get information about something
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to learn or discover facts or details about something by asking, searching, or being told.
Say it like a native
Textbook I wish to ascertain the details concerning the new policy.
Native I want to find out about the new policy.
'Find out about' is the everyday phrase; 'ascertain the details concerning' is officialese.
Pattern: find out about + noun/what/where/when clause
In use
- I need to find out about the train schedule before I leave.daily life
- Before choosing a university, I tried to find out about the different courses and campus facilities.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I found out about that he had left.
✓ I found out that he had left. / found out about his leaving.
Use 'find out THAT...' for a clause; 'find out ABOUT' takes a noun.
Common collocations
find out about + topic— the job, what happened, it, the details
Don't confuse it
'Find out' alone means to discover something, but 'find out about' focuses on getting information on a specific subject.