Translation guide
The act of looking for something or someone, often with a specific purpose. In Japanese, the most common way to express this is with the verb 探す (sagasu), but other words and patterns are used depending on what is being searched and the context.
To express the act of trying to find a lost item, a specific object, or a person.
The most common and general verb for 'to search for' or 'to look for'. Used for concrete things and people.
I'm looking for my keys.
I'm going to look for her.
Often used specifically for searching for a missing person or criminal, implying a more thorough or official search. Same reading as 探す but different nuance.
The police are searching for the missing person.
To search around, to look everywhere. Emphasizes the act of moving around while searching.
I searched all over the house.
To express looking up information, researching, or browsing for data.
To look up, investigate, or check. Used for searching for information in a dictionary, on the internet, or through research.
Try searching on the internet.
To search (a database, the web). More technical and formal than 調べる. Often used for online searches.
Please search by keyword.
Can also be used for searching for information, but 調べる is more natural when the focus is on looking up facts.
To express trying to recall something or searching one's thoughts.
To express a systematic or thorough search of a location.
To conduct a search (especially by authorities). Formal and often used for missing persons or evidence.
The police searched the mountain.
To probe, to search for something hidden or unknown. Can be physical (searching with hands) or metaphorical.
To rummage, to fish around. Often used for searching through a pile of things or scavenging.
探す (sagasu) is used when looking for a physical object or person, or when the location of the information is unknown. 調べる (shiraberu) is used when you are looking up specific information, often with a known source like a dictionary or the internet. For online searches, 検索する (kensaku suru) is more technical.
to look for one's smartphone
to look it up on one's smartphone
The English loanword サーチ (sāchi) is not commonly used as a verb in natural Japanese. Use 検索する or 調べる instead.
I look up words in a dictionary.
ネットで情報を探す。
I search for information online.
Even searching my mind, I couldn't find the answer.
暗闇の中を手で探った。
I searched in the dark with my hands.
引き出しを漁って書類を探した。
I rummaged through the drawer searching for the document.