chercher
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/
The French verb for to search (followed by "for") is chercher.
The verb chercher means to look thoroughly for something or to look for something. It is also commonly used to mean "to fetch" or "to go get" something, such as when you go to pick up a child.
Meaning: (followed by "for") to look thoroughly (verb)
Which one should you use?
While chercher is the verb used for looking for something, the related noun recherche is used to describe a more formal or systematic search, such as research.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
chercher is a direct transitive verb, which means it takes a direct object without needing a preposition.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/. The word has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When translating "to search for" into French, do not add the preposition pour after chercher.
Did you know?
- In French, the expression chercher midi à quatorze heures literally means 'to look for noon at two o'clock'. It is used to describe someone who is making a simple situation unnecessarily complicated.
- The word chercher is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'circle'. This is because they both trace back to the Latin 'circus', referring to a circular arena or movement.
- When a French person says je te cherche, they might not be looking for your location but could be telling you that they are looking for a fight or a confrontation.
Examples in context
- Tom veut aller chercher des informations.Tom wants to search for information.This sentence shows how to use chercher with information.Tatoeba #6326987 by felix63, translation #6774759 by Eccles17
- Va te chercher quelque chose à manger au réfrigérateur.Go search for something to eat in the refrigerator.This sentence shows how to use chercher when looking for food.Tatoeba #7324151 by felix63, translation #7347673 by Eccles17
- Chercher.Search.This sentence shows the imperative use of chercher.Tatoeba #13355652 by genes1s, translation #13346021 by Nicat
- Je fais une recherche sur internet.I am doing a search on the internet.
- Je cherche des informations précises.I am searching for specific information.
- Je farfouille dans mes affaires pour retrouver mes clés.I'm searching through my things to find my keys.
- Comment faire une recherche sur ce site web ?How do I search on this website?
- Il suffit de taper des mots-clés dans la barre de recherche en haut de la page.You just need to type keywords in the search bar at the top of the page.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel is looking for his keys in the living room.
- GabrielJe cherche mes clés depuis dix minutes.I have been searching for my keys for ten minutes.
- ManonEst-ce que tu as regardé dans ton sac ?Did you look in your bag?
- GabrielOui, je continue de chercher partout ici.Yes, I keep searching everywhere here.
- ManonRegarde, elles sont sur la table, Gabriel !Look, they are on the table, Gabriel!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “search” translations and entries chercher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chercher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
