<p>As a native speaker, I think in this case 交 and 找 is absolutely the same in this situation. :)</p>

<p>If you find it on dictionary, It may turns out that the verb 找 looks like more active than 交, but I am quite sure that in daily conversion or formal writing they have the same meaning in this phrase.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-07T04:39:10.150Z
Are you saying they can be used interchangeably? Is 找了女朋友 correct? If so then what about 找着了女朋友, what is the difference?
Samuel Parsonage
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-20T19:23:26.467Z
@SamuelParsonage I'm not saying that this two character are interchangeable. I means that in this certain phrase they have very similar meanings in this phrase:) For your second question, the first one is correct, while the second one is a bit awkward. The second one is more likely to be understood as "I have found where my girlfriend is" instead of "I successfully acquired a girlfriend", but the exact meaning is totally depends on the context.
jackieyang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-06T16:15:36.197Z
2014-04-06T16:15:36.197Z
jackieyang
<p>even though you can take them as the same, I do think there is a tiny difference between the two phrases:
Literally, 找 means find and 交 means make. I feel like 找女朋友 is more often used when someone do not have a girl friend or just got one recently, and 交女朋友 does not have such preference.
What is more, using only one of them is enough, so conclusively I agree with user4328  ：P</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-06T18:13:02.237Z
2014-04-06T18:13:02.237Z
astudent
<p>交了女朋友 is the same with 找着了女朋友. It both mean the girl you asked to be your girlfriend has considered you as your boyfriend.找了女朋友 do not means the girl you asked to be your girlfriend has considered you as your boyfriend.After reading your question, I just feel I can not speak Chinese normally just like Chinese do……</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-08T05:20:07.457Z
2014-04-08T05:20:07.457Z
Wooden Bird
<p>Not the same.</p>

<p>The difference is whether you ask someone to be your girlfriend.
If it was not you who has asked your girlfriend to be your girlfriend, then you can not say 找了个女朋友</p>

<p>If it was you, then both phrases are correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-07T13:41:12.680Z
2014-04-07T13:41:12.680Z
http8086
<p>For some reason i have these two muddled in my head. Presumably cause they sound similar.</p>

<p>Is it possible to 找了女朋友？
or does it have to be 交了女朋友
can it be 找着了女朋友？</p>

<p>Can someone clear this up for me.</p>

<p>When is it appropriate to use 交 vs 找。</p>

<p>I am assuming </p>

<pre><code>If a person was looking for a 女朋友 and he found one, both 交了 and 找到 would be appropriate

If a person wasn't looking then is only 交了 appropriate
</code></pre>

<p>Is this correct?</p>

<word-choice><grammar><expressions>
differentiation of 交女朋友 vs 找女朋友
# differentiation of 交女朋友 vs 找女朋友

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-06)

For some reason i have these two muddled in my head. Presumably cause they sound similar.

Is it possible to 找了女朋友？
or does it have to be 交了女朋友
can it be 找着了女朋友？

Can someone clear this up for me.

When is it appropriate to use 交 vs 找。

I am assuming

```
If a person was looking for a 女朋友 and he found one, both 交了 and 找到 would be appropriate

If a person wasn't looking then is only 交了 appropriate

```

Is this correct?

**Tags:** word-choice, grammar, expressions


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-04-06. Score: 3

As a native speaker, I think in this case 交 and 找 is absolutely the same in this situation. :)

If you find it on dictionary, It may turns out that the verb 找 looks like more active than 交, but I am quite sure that in daily conversion or formal writing they have the same meaning in this phrase.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Are you saying they can be used interchangeably? Is 找了女朋友 correct? If so then what about 找着了女朋友, what is the difference?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 I'm not saying that this two character are interchangeable. I means that in this certain phrase they have very similar meanings in this phrase:) For your second question, the first one is correct, while the second one is a bit awkward. The second one is more likely to be understood as "I have found where my girlfriend is" instead of "I successfully acquired a girlfriend", but the exact meaning is totally depends on the context.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-04-06. Score: 2

even though you can take them as the same, I do think there is a tiny difference between the two phrases:
Literally, 找 means find and 交 means make. I feel like 找女朋友 is more often used when someone do not have a girl friend or just got one recently, and 交女朋友 does not have such preference.
What is more, using only one of them is enough, so conclusively I agree with user4328 ：P


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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-08. Score: 1

交了女朋友 is the same with 找着了女朋友. It both mean the girl you asked to be your girlfriend has considered you as your boyfriend.找了女朋友 do not means the girl you asked to be your girlfriend has considered you as your boyfriend.After reading your question, I just feel I can not speak Chinese normally just like Chinese do……


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-04-07. Score: 0

Not the same.

The difference is whether you ask someone to be your girlfriend.
If it was not you who has asked your girlfriend to be your girlfriend, then you can not say 找了个女朋友

If it was you, then both phrases are correct.


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