búscalo
/buskalo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'look it up' is said as búscalo.
This phrase is used when you are telling someone to search for a specific piece of information in a reference book or database.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where 'look up' is a phrasal verb, Spanish uses a single verb buscar (to search/look for) combined with a pronoun.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the thing being looked up is a feminine noun (like la palabra), the pronoun changes from lo to la. When the object pronoun lo is attached to the imperative form busca, an accent mark is added to the stressed vowel to maintain the original word's stress.
How do you pronounce it?
/buskalo/
Did you know?
- While buscar means 'to search' or 'look up', it is also used in Spanish to mean 'to pick someone up' from a location, such as a train station or airport.
- If you are telling a group of people to 'look it up' in Spain, you would use buscadlo, but in Latin America, you would use búsquenlo.
- In certain Caribbean dialects, the imperative búscalo can be used to tell someone to 'go get it' from another room, acting more as 'fetch' than 'research'.
Examples in context
- Búscalo en el diccionario.Look it up in the dictionary.This sentence is useful for showing how to use búscalo with the word 'dictionary'.Tatoeba #1152001 by Shishir, translation #41814 by CK
- Búscalo en tu diccionario.Look it up in your dictionary.This sentence shows how to use búscalo when referring to 'your dictionary'.Tatoeba #1392441 by Shishir, translation #264889 by CK
- Si no sabes lo que significa, búscalo en el diccionario.If you don't know what it means, look it up in the dictionary.This sentence demonstrates using búscalo in a conditional context regarding knowing a meaning.Tatoeba #7843380 by arh, translation #7839479 by CK
- Consulte la palabra en el diccionario.Look up the word in the dictionary.
- Búscalo en internetLook it up on the internet
- Consulta el término en el diccionarioLook up the term in the dictionary
- Por favor, consulte la información antes de tomar una decisiónPlease look up the information before making a decision
- No lo sé, búscalo en internet.I don't know, look it up on the internet.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are studying in a library.
- Daniel¿Sabes qué significa esta palabra?Do you know what this word means?
- MaríaNo lo sé, búscalo en la enciclopedia.I don't know, look it up in the encyclopedia.
- DanielVale, lo haré ahora mismo.Okay, I will do it right now.
- MaríaGracias, Daniel.Thanks, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
