chercher

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French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French chercher, cercher, altered from Old French cerchier through assimilation, from Late Latin circāre, from Latin circa, circus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃɛʁ.ʃe/
  • audio(file)

Verb

chercher

  1. (transitive) to look for, to seek
    Je cherche du boulot.
    I'm looking for some work.
  2. (intransitive, followed by à) to look (to do something)
    Chercher à expliquer ce phénomène.
    Look to explain this phenomenon.
  3. (transitive, slang) to mess with someone, ask for trouble
    Tu me cherches ou quoi?
    Are you messing with me or what?
  4. (transitive) to pick up, to go and get
  5. (takes a reflexive pronoun, reflexive) to get to know oneself
    • 2018, Zaz, Nos vies:
      On est l’homme qui se cherche et la femme qui se trouve. Dans le cœur, un amour qui fait qu’on se retrouve.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  6. (takes a reflexive pronoun, reciprocal) to seek for each other

Conjugation

Conjugation of chercher (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple chercher
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple cherchant
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle cherché
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present cherche
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherches
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherche
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherchons
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɔ̃/ 		cherchez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ 		cherchent
/ʃɛʁʃ/
imperfect cherchais
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		cherchais
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		cherchait
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		cherchions
/ʃɛʁ.ʃjɔ̃/ 		cherchiez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃje/ 		cherchaient
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/
past historic2 cherchai
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ 		cherchas
/ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		chercha
/ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		cherchâmes
/ʃɛʁ.ʃam/ 		cherchâtes
/ʃɛʁ.ʃat/ 		cherchèrent
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɛʁ/
future chercherai
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁe/ 		chercheras
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁa/ 		cherchera
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁa/ 		chercherons
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɔ̃/ 		chercherez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁe/ 		chercheront
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional chercherais
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		chercherais
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		chercherait
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		chercherions
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		chercheriez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁje/ 		chercheraient
/ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present cherche
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherches
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherche
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		cherchions
/ʃɛʁ.ʃjɔ̃/ 		cherchiez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃje/ 		cherchent
/ʃɛʁʃ/
imperfect2 cherchasse
/ʃɛʁ.ʃas/ 		cherchasses
/ʃɛʁ.ʃas/ 		cherchât
/ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		cherchassions
/ʃɛʁ.ʃa.sjɔ̃/ 		cherchassiez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃa.sje/ 		cherchassent
/ʃɛʁ.ʃas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — cherche
/ʃɛʁʃ/ 		— cherchons
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɔ̃/ 		cherchez
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Conjugation of se chercher (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple se chercher
compound s'être + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple se cherchant
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃɑ̃/
compound ayant or étant + past participle
past participle cherché
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present me cherche
/mə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		te cherches
/tə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		se cherche
/sə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		nous cherchons
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃɔ̃/ 		vous cherchez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ 		se cherchent
/sə ʃɛʁʃ/
imperfect me cherchais
/mə ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		te cherchais
/tə ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		se cherchait
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/ 		nous cherchions
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃjɔ̃/ 		vous cherchiez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃje/ 		se cherchaient
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃɛ/
past historic2 me cherchai
/mə ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ 		te cherchas
/tə ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		se chercha
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		nous cherchâmes
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃam/ 		vous cherchâtes
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃat/ 		se cherchèrent
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃɛʁ/
future me chercherai
/mə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁe/ 		te chercheras
/tə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁa/ 		se cherchera
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁa/ 		nous chercherons
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɔ̃/ 		vous chercherez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁe/ 		se chercheront
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional me chercherais
/mə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		te chercherais
/tə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		se chercherait
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/ 		nous chercherions
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		vous chercheriez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁje/ 		se chercheraient
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of s'être + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of s'être + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of s'être + past participle
future perfect future of s'être + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of s'être + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present me cherche
/mə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		te cherches
/tə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		se cherche
/sə ʃɛʁʃ/ 		nous cherchions
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃjɔ̃/ 		vous cherchiez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃje/ 		se cherchent
/sə ʃɛʁʃ/
imperfect2 me cherchasse
/mə ʃɛʁ.ʃas/ 		te cherchasses
/tə ʃɛʁ.ʃas/ 		se cherchât
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃa/ 		nous cherchassions
/nu ʃɛʁ.ʃa.sjɔ̃/ 		vous cherchassiez
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃa.sje/ 		se cherchassent
/sə ʃɛʁ.ʃas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of s'être + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of s'être + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — cherche-toi
/ʃɛʁʃ.twa/ 		— cherchons-nous
/ʃɛʁ.ʃɔ̃.nu/ 		cherchez-vous
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe.vu/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of s'être + past participle — simple imperative of s'être + past participle simple imperative of s'être + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From an alteration of Old French cerchier, sercher, cercier, cercer through assimilation.

Verb

chercher

  1. to search for; to look for

Conjugation

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of chercher
infinitive simple chercher
compound avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2 simple cherchant
compound present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle cherché
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (i’) tu il, elle nous vous ilz, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present cherche cherches cherche cherchons cherchez cherchent
imperfect cherchois, cherchoys cherchois, cherchoys cherchoit, cherchoyt cherchions, cherchyons cherchiez, cherchyez cherchoient, cherchoyent
past historic chercha cherchas chercha cherchasmes cherchastes chercherent
future chercherai, chercheray chercheras cherchera chercherons chercherez chercheront
conditional chercherois, chercheroys chercherois, chercheroys chercheroit, chercheroyt chercherions, chercheryons chercheriez, chercheryez chercheroient, chercheroyent
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que ie (i’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present cherche cherches cherche cherchons cherchez cherchent
imperfect cherchasse cherchasses cherchast cherchassions cherchassiez cherchassent
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — cherche — cherchons cherchez —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château , Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château , op. cit., p. 180).

Descendants

  • French: chercher
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