buscar

Asturian

Verb

buscar (first-person singular indicative present busco, past participle buscáu)

1. to search, to look for, to seek

Conjugation

infinitive		buscar
gerund		buscando
past participle		m buscáu, f buscada, n buscao, m pl buscaos, f pl buscaes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	busco	busques	busca	buscamos	buscáis	busquen
	imperfect	buscaba	buscabes	buscaba	buscábemos, buscábamos	buscabeis, buscabais	buscaben
	preterite	busqué	buscasti, busquesti	buscó	busquemos	buscastis, busquestis	buscaron
	pluperfect	buscare, buscara	buscares, buscaras	buscare, buscara	buscáremos, buscáramos	buscareis, buscarais	buscaren, buscaran
	future	buscaré	buscarás	buscará	buscaremos	buscaréis	buscarán
	conditional	buscaría	buscaríes	buscaría	buscaríemos, buscaríamos	buscaríeis, buscaríais	buscaríen
subjunctive	present	busque	busques, buscas	busque	busquemos	busquéis	busquen, buscan
	imperfect	buscare, buscara	buscares, buscaras	buscare, buscara	buscáremos, buscáramos	buscareis, buscarais	buscaren, buscaran
imperative		—	busca	—	—	buscái	—

Conjugation of buscar

Synonyms

• guetar

Related terms

• buscu

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish buscar, which is of unknown origin in that language.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [busˈka]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [busˈkaɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

Verb

buscar (first-person singular present busco, first-person singular preterite busquí, past participle buscat)

1. to seek, to search for, to look for

   Synonym: cercar

Conjugation

infinitive			buscar
gerund			buscant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		buscat		buscada
		plural		buscats		buscades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	busco	busques	busca	busquem	busqueu	busquen
	imperfect	buscava	buscaves	buscava	buscàvem	buscàveu	buscaven
	future	buscaré	buscaràs	buscarà	buscarem	buscareu	buscaran
	preterite	busquí	buscares	buscà	buscàrem	buscàreu	buscaren
	conditional	buscaria	buscaries	buscaria	buscaríem	buscaríeu	buscarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	busqui	busquis	busqui	busquem	busqueu	busquin
	imperfect	busqués	busquessis	busqués	busquéssim	busquéssiu	busquessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	busca	busqui	busquem	busqueu	busquin
	negative (no)	—	no busquis	no busqui	no busquem	no busqueu	no busquin

    Conjugation of buscar (first conjugation, c-qu alternation)

Derived terms

• busca-raons

Further reading

• “buscar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “buscar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “buscar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “buscar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese buscar of unknown origin; perhaps from the same origin of bosque (“forest”). Alternatively, possibly from Proto-Celtic *bud-skō (“win, conquer”), related to Proto-Celtic *boudi (“victory”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /busˈkaɾ/

Verb

buscar (first-person singular present busco, first-person singular preterite busquei, past participle buscado)

1. to search for; to look for
   • 1390, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Os Miragres de Santiago. Versión gallega del Códice latino del siglo XII atribuido al papa Calisto I, Madrid: C.S.I.C., page 86:

     Et moytos de caualo et de pee buscarono por los mõtes quatro dias et nũca o poderõ achar.

     And many riders and peons looked for him in the mountains for four days, but they cound't find him

   Synonym: procurar

2. to procure

   Synonym: procurar

3. to fetch, to pick up
   • c1350, K. M. Parker (ed.), Historia Troyana. Santiago: Instituto Sarmiento, page 30:

     Et çercou et escodrinou as terras et as rribeyras et os mõtes que disemos, buscando et colendo as eruas que avia menester.

     He researched and scrutinized the lands and the shores and the mountains that we mentioned, fetching and collecting the plants he needed

   • 1371, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Fueros municipales de Santiago y de su tierra, Madrid: Ediciones Castilla, page 434:

     Et demays foron buscar todos los outros coengos et personas que eran enna villa a suas casas, et por forza trouxeron a o cardeal dom Alfonso Perez, et a o cardeal dom Alfonso Gonzalez, o qual Alfonso Gonzalez sacaron da capela de San Johan apostollo onde estaba, et o boo coengo Rodrigo Rodriguez por que foron a sua casa; et trouxeronnos por força et contra suas voontades et enssarraronnos con os outros enno dito thesouro.

     they went to fetch every other canon and person that were in town at their houses; forcibly they brought cardinal Don Afonso Pérez, and cardinal Don Afonso González, who was removed from the chapel of Saint John the Apostle, where he was, and the good canon Rodrigo Rodríguez, for whom they went to his house; and they brought them forcibly and against each one's will and they locked them inside the treasury room

   Synonym: recoller

Conjugation

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	buscar
Personal	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscaren
Gerund
	buscando
Past participle
Masculine	buscado			buscados
Feminine	buscada			buscadas
Indicative
Present	busco	buscas	busca	buscamos	buscades	buscan
Imperfect	buscaba	buscabas	buscaba	buscabamos	buscabades	buscaban
Preterite	busquei	buscaches	buscou	buscamos	buscastes	buscaron
Pluperfect	buscara	buscaras	buscara	buscaramos	buscarades	buscaran
Future	buscarei	buscarás	buscará	buscaremos	buscaredes	buscarán
Conditional	buscaría	buscarías	buscaría	buscariamos	buscariades	buscarían
Subjunctive
Present	busque	busques	busque	busquemos	busquedes	busquen
Imperfect	buscase	buscases	buscase	buscásemos	buscásedes	buscasen
Future	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscaren
Imperative
Affirmative		busca	busque	busquemos	buscade	busquen
Negative (non)		non busques	non busque	non busquemos	non busquedes	non busquen

    Conjugation of buscar (c-qu alternation)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	buscar
Personal	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscarem
Gerund
	buscando
Past participle
Masculine	buscado			buscados
Feminine	buscada			buscadas
Indicative
Present	busco	buscas	busca	buscamos	buscades, buscais	buscam
Imperfect	buscava	buscavas	buscava	buscávamos	buscávades, buscáveis, buscávais1	buscavam
Preterite	busquei	buscaste, buscache1	buscou	buscamos	buscastes	buscárom, buscaram
Pluperfect	buscara	buscaras	buscara	buscáramos	buscárades, buscáreis, buscárais1	buscaram
Future	buscarei	buscarás	buscará	buscaremos	buscaredes, buscareis	buscarám, buscarão
Conditional	buscaria	buscarias	buscaria	buscaríamos	buscaríades, buscaríeis, buscaríais1	buscariam
Subjunctive
Present	busque	busques	busque	busquemos	busquedes, busqueis	busquem
Imperfect	buscasse	buscasses	buscasse	buscássemos	buscássedes, buscásseis	buscassem
Future	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscarem
Imperative
Affirmative		busca	busque	busquemos	buscade, buscai	busquem
Negative (nom)		nom busques	nom busque	nom busquemos	nom busquedes, nom busqueis	nom busquem

    Reintegrated conjugation of buscar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

¹Less recommended.

Derived terms

• busca
• buscalume

 

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “buscar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “buscar”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “buscar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “buscar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “buscar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

1. Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “buscar”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Gredos

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• boscar

Etymology

Disputed. Generally assumed to be derived from Vulgar Latin *buscum (“wood, bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“wood, bush”).
Alternatively, perhaps from a Celtic language; compare Old Irish búaid (“victory”) and Welsh budd (“gain”), all from Proto-Celtic *boudi (“gain”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /busˈkaɾ/

Verb

buscar

1. to look for
   • ca. 1140-1200, Anonymous (or Per Abbat), Cantar de mío Cid 1628:

     Van buscar a valençia a myo çid dõ Rodrigo

     They're going to Valencia to look for my Cid, don Rodrigo

Descendants

• Ladino: bushkar
• Spanish: buscar
• Sicilian: vuscari

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese buscar of unknown origin, possibly cognate with bosque, cognate with Italian buscare and Spanish buscar. Or possibly from Celtic; compare Old Irish búaid (“victory”) and Welsh budd (“gain”), all from Proto-Celtic *boudi (“gain”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /busˈka(ʁ)/ [busˈka(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /busˈka(ʁ)/ [busˈka(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /busˈka(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /buʃˈka(ʁ)/ [buʃˈka(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /busˈka(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /buʃˈkaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /buʃˈkaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /buʃˈka.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: bus‧car

Verb

buscar (first-person singular present busco, first-person singular preterite busquei, past participle buscado)

1. to search for

   Synonyms: pesquisar, procurar

2. to fetch, pick up
   • 2005, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 127:

     Está vindo alguém buscar você. Olhe.

     Someone is going to pick you up. Look.

   • 2012, Luís Fernando Veríssimo, “A diferença”, in Diálogos Impossíveis, Editora Objetiva, →ISBN, page 10:

     Internou-se na clínica com a vaga esperança de que a Morte, que vem ali buscar tanta gente, um dia o leve por distração.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	buscar
Personal	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscarem
Gerund
	buscando
Past participle
Masculine	buscado			buscados
Feminine	buscada			buscadas
Indicative
Present	busco	buscas	busca	buscamos	buscais	buscam
Imperfect	buscava	buscavas	buscava	buscávamos	buscáveis	buscavam
Preterite	busquei	buscaste	buscou	buscamos1, buscámos2	buscastes	buscaram
Pluperfect	buscara	buscaras	buscara	buscáramos	buscáreis	buscaram
Future	buscarei	buscarás	buscará	buscaremos	buscareis	buscarão
Conditional	buscaria	buscarias	buscaria	buscaríamos	buscaríeis	buscariam
Subjunctive
Present	busque	busques	busque	busquemos	busqueis	busquem
Imperfect	buscasse	buscasses	buscasse	buscássemos	buscásseis	buscassem
Future	buscar	buscares	buscar	buscarmos	buscardes	buscarem
Imperative
Affirmative		busca	busque	busquemos	buscai	busquem
Negative (não)		não busques	não busque	não busquemos	não busqueis	não busquem

    Conjugation of buscar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• busca
• busca-pé

 

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish buscar. Ultimate origin unknown, possibly cognate with bosque, cognate with Portuguese buscar. Or possibly from a Celtic language; compare Old Irish búaid (“victory”) and Welsh budd (“gain”), all from Proto-Celtic *boudi (“gain”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /busˈkaɾ/ [busˈkaɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: bus‧car

Verb

buscar (first-person singular present busco, first-person singular preterite busqué, past participle buscado)

1. to seek, search for, look for, try to find, to scour
2. to look up (in a search engine, dictionary, etc.)
3. to fetch, get, pick up

   Synonym: recoger

4. (reflexive) to bring on (oneself), to ask for

   Lo siento, pero te lo buscaste.

   I am sorry, but you brought this on yourself.

   Venga, se lo está buscando.

   Come on, he's asking for it.

Usage notes

To say "to search [place] for [target object]," one must say "buscar [target object] en [place]."

Conjugation

infinitive			buscar
gerund			buscando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		buscado		buscada
		plural		buscados		buscadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	busco	buscastú buscásvos	busca	buscamos	buscáis	buscan
	imperfect	buscaba	buscabas	buscaba	buscábamos	buscabais	buscaban
	preterite	busqué	buscaste	buscó	buscamos	buscasteis	buscaron
	future	buscaré	buscarás	buscará	buscaremos	buscaréis	buscarán
	conditional	buscaría	buscarías	buscaría	buscaríamos	buscaríais	buscarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	busque	busquestú busquésvos2	busque	busquemos	busquéis	busquen
	imperfect (ra)	buscara	buscaras	buscara	buscáramos	buscarais	buscaran
	imperfect (se)	buscase	buscases	buscase	buscásemos	buscaseis	buscasen
	future1	buscare	buscares	buscare	buscáremos	buscareis	buscaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		buscatú buscávos	busque	busquemos	buscad	busquen
	negative		no busques	no busque	no busquemos	no busquéis	no busquen

    Conjugation of buscar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive buscar
	dative	buscarme	buscarte	buscarle, buscarse	buscarnos	buscaros	buscarles, buscarse
	accusative	buscarme	buscarte	buscarlo, buscarla, buscarse	buscarnos	buscaros	buscarlos, buscarlas, buscarse
with gerund buscando
	dative	buscándome	buscándote	buscándole, buscándose	buscándonos	buscándoos	buscándoles, buscándose
	accusative	buscándome	buscándote	buscándolo, buscándola, buscándose	buscándonos	buscándoos	buscándolos, buscándolas, buscándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative busca
	dative	búscame	búscate	búscale	búscanos	not used	búscales
	accusative	búscame	búscate	búscalo, búscala	búscanos	not used	búscalos, búscalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative buscá
	dative	buscame	buscate	buscale	buscanos	not used	buscales
	accusative	buscame	buscate	buscalo, buscala	buscanos	not used	buscalos, buscalas
with formal second-person singular imperative busque
	dative	búsqueme	not used	búsquele, búsquese	búsquenos	not used	búsqueles
	accusative	búsqueme	not used	búsquelo, búsquela, búsquese	búsquenos	not used	búsquelos, búsquelas
with first-person plural imperative busquemos
	dative	not used	busquémoste	busquémosle	busquémonos	busquémoos	busquémosles
	accusative	not used	busquémoste	busquémoslo, busquémosla	busquémonos	busquémoos	busquémoslos, busquémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative buscad
	dative	buscadme	not used	buscadle	buscadnos	buscaos	buscadles
	accusative	buscadme	not used	buscadlo, buscadla	buscadnos	buscaos	buscadlos, buscadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative busquen
	dative	búsquenme	not used	búsquenle	búsquennos	not used	búsquenles, búsquense
	accusative	búsquenme	not used	búsquenlo, búsquenla	búsquennos	not used	búsquenlos, búsquenlas, búsquense

    Selected combined forms of buscar (c-qu alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

Derived terms

• busca
• buscador
• buscapersonas
• buscapleitos
• buscar las pulgas
• buscar pelos en la sopa
• buscar una aguja en un pajar
• buscarle las cosquillas a alguien
• buscarle tres pies al gato
• buscarruidos
• buscársela
• buscavidas
• buscón
• búsqueda
• ir a buscar

 

See also

• esculcar

Further reading

• “buscar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Anagrams

• brusca, cubras