find out — discover information
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
To learn something that you did not know before, especially by asking, searching, or being told.
Say it like a native
Textbook I would like to ascertain the departure time.
Native Let me find out when it leaves.
For getting a fact, natives say 'find out'. 'Ascertain'/'determine' are correct but sound formal or bureaucratic in speech.
Pattern: find out + (about) [noun phrase] / find out + (that) [clause]
In use
- I need to find out what time the train leaves.daily life
- In my last job, I had to find out a lot of information about different countries for our clients.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I found out my keys under the sofa.
✓ I found my keys under the sofa.
'Find out' is for facts/information; locating a physical object is just 'find'.
Common collocations
find out + fact— the truth, what happened, why, more
Don't confuse it
'Find' means to locate something physically, while 'find out' is about learning new information.