Trovare vs. ritrovare
The Italian verbs 'trovare' and 'ritrovare' both relate to finding something, but they have subtle differences in usage and meaning.
Trovare
'Trovare' means to find or discover something for the first time.
Ho trovato una moneta per terra.
(I found a coin on the ground.)
Finalmente abbiamo trovato un ristorante aperto.
(We finally found an open restaurant.)
Ritrovare
'Ritrovare' means to find again something that was lost or misplaced.
Ho ritrovato le chiavi che avevo perso ieri.
(I found the keys I had lost yesterday.)
Dopo anni, ho ritrovato un vecchio amico su Facebook.
(After years, I found an old friend again on Facebook.)
Summary
While 'trovare' is used for finding something new or for the first time, 'ritrovare' implies rediscovering or finding again something that was previously lost or known. 'Ritrovare' often carries a sense of reunion or recovery.