探す (さがす, sagasu) Japanese meaning: search for | Kotomora

探さがす

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探す · godan verb (-su)

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

General searching for something desired, wanted, or needed. 探す is the typical kanji, while 捜す leans toward looking for something lost or missing.

捜そう索さくN1sense 1
捜索する is a formal, often official word for conducting a search (e.g. police, rescue teams), while 探す is the everyday word for looking for something.
見みつけるN4
探す means to search or look for something, while 見つける describes the moment of actually finding it.
漁あさるN1
探す is the neutral verb for 'search for/look for', while 漁る adds a nuance of rummaging messily or desperately through things.
探さぐるN2
探す is the general word for looking for something, while 探る implies a careful, groping or probing search, often by touch or into hidden matters.

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探さがし回まわるN2
探す is the plain, general verb for 'look for something', while 探し回る adds the nuance of moving from place to place in an extensive, often frantic search.
尋たずねるN4
探す is the everyday verb for looking for something, whereas 尋ねる in this sense is more literary and often implies searching for a person or clue.
求もとめるN3
探す is used for physically searching for a specific lost object or person, while 求める is more abstract and goal-oriented, as in seeking a job or solution.

見みつけるN4sense 1
探す means the act of searching (the process), while 見つける means to find (the successful result), so 探したが見つからなかった is a common contrast.
探さぐるN2sense 2
探す is a general word for looking for something you want, while 探る means to feel around or probe (often blindly or exploratively) for something, as in groping in the dark.

探さがすUsage80%
General-purpose kanji for searching, especially for something desired or sought after.
捜さがすUsage11%
Often used when searching for something lost, missing, or hidden; this distinction.
さがすUsage9%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the kanji nuance is not important.

The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 探 and 捜 are conventionally associated with searching and seeking.