探さぐる

さ

ぐ

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

探る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	探さぐる	探さぐらない
Polite	探さぐります	探さぐりません
Past polite	探さぐりました	探さぐりませんでした
Past	探さぐった	探さぐらなかった
Te-form	探さぐって	探さぐらないで
Desire	探さぐりたい	探さぐりたくない
Potential	探さぐれる	探さぐれない
Passive	探さぐられる	探さぐられない
Causative	探さぐらせる	探さぐらせない
Causative passive	探さぐらせられるalso 探さぐらされる	探さぐらせられないalso 探さぐらされない
Volitional	探さぐろう
Polite volitional	探さぐりましょう
Imperative	探さぐれ	探さぐるな
Conditional	探さぐれば	探さぐらなければ
Tara conditional	探さぐったら	探さぐらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

grope for; feel around for; fumble for

Physically searching with one's hands, often in the dark or when unable to see. Also used for searching through a bag or pocket by touch.

暗くら闇やみの中なかでスイッチを探さぐった。
I groped for the switch in the dark.
ポケットを探さぐって鍵かぎを取とり出だした。
I fumbled in my pocket and took out the key.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

probe into; investigate; sound out

Figuratively searching for information, intentions, or hidden facts. Often used with words like 意向, 真相, 可能性, or 気持ち.

相あい手ての意い向こうを探さぐるために会かい議ぎを開ひらいた。
We held a meeting to sound out the other party's intentions.
記き者しゃは事じ件けんの真しん相そうを探さぐっている。
The reporter is investigating the truth behind the incident.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

explore (unknown parts); enjoy (natural beauty)

Used for exploring unfamiliar places or seeking out scenic spots. The 'enjoy natural beauty' nuance is somewhat literary and often appears in travel writing.

秘ひ境きょうを探さぐる旅たびに出でた。
I set off on a journey to explore unexplored regions.
山やま々やまの美うつくしさを探さぐるように歩あるいた。
I walked as if to savor the beauty of the mountains.

See all 189 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉の中なかを探さぐるto feel around inside something (e.g. a bag)
バッグの中なかを探さぐったが、鍵かぎが見みつからなかった。
I felt around inside my bag, but couldn't find my keys.
手てで〈物もの〉を探さぐるto feel for something with one's hand
暗くら闇やみの中なか、手てで壁かべを探さぐりながら進すすんだ。
I moved forward, feeling along the wall with my hand in the darkness.
〈人ひと〉の意い向こうを探さぐるto sound out someone's intentions
上じょう司しの意い向こうを探さぐってから提てい案あんすることにした。
I decided to sound out my boss's intentions before making the proposal.
〈事こと〉の真しん相そうを探さぐるto investigate the truth behind something
記き者しゃは事じ件けんの真しん相そうを探さぐり続つづけた。
The reporter kept investigating the truth behind the incident.
〈事こと〉の可か能のう性せいを探さぐるto explore the possibility of something
両りょう社しゃは業ぎょう務む提てい携けいの可か能のう性せいを探さぐっている。
The two companies are exploring the possibility of a business partnership.
〈場ば所しょ〉を探さぐるto explore an unfamiliar place
洞どう窟くつの奥おくを探さぐるのは危き険けんだ。
Exploring deep into the cave is dangerous.

Expressions

腹はらを探さぐるprobe someone's real intentions; sound someone out; fathom someone's thoughts
道みちを探さぐるseek a path; find one's way
探さぐりを入いれるprobe; sound out; investigate discreetly

Kanji

探grope, search, look for

Related words· 7

探さがすN5
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.
調しらべるN5sense 2
調べる means to examine or check systematically, whereas 探る suggests a more tentative probing into something unknown or concealed.
詮せん索さく sense 2
詮索する means to pry or dig persistently into details (often with a negative, nosy nuance), while 探る is more neutral and can also describe cautious physical or figurative searching.
模も索さくN1sense 2
模索する means to grope or search for a solution or direction (e.g. a policy), a more formal and abstract counterpart to the figurative sense of 探る.

Show 3 more

打だ診しん sense 2
打診する specifically means to sound someone out about their intentions before making a formal request, a narrower and more business-like usage than 探る.
辿たどるN1
探る means to search or probe for something unknown, while 辿る specifically follows an existing trail, clue, or sequence to reach an endpoint.
掘ほるN3
探る means to probe or investigate and is the more natural verb for figurative digging into a matter, while 掘る in this sense is slightly more casual and physical in nuance.

Don't confuse with

探さがすN5
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.
漁あさるN1
探る means to probe or feel around cautiously for information or objects, while 漁る implies a rougher, more thorough rummaging.

Word family· 9

手て探さぐりN1
fumbling; groping
探さぐり
probing; sounding out; exploratory investigation
探さぐり箸ばし
probing with chopsticks; rummaging in shared dishes with chopsticks
探さぐり足あし
groping with one's feet; feeling one's way
盲めくら探さぐり
blindly groping; fumbling in the dark

Show 4 more

探さぐり出だす
find out; dig up; sniff out; worm out; pry out; spy out
探さぐり合あい
sounding each other out; probing each other
探さぐり回まわる
grope around; fumble around
探さぐり当あてる
find out; ferret out; track down

Written forms

探さぐるUsage82%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
さぐるUsage18%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the physical groping nuance is emphasized.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 探 is conventionally associated with searching and probing.