(sōu suǒ) - to search, to search for, to comb through in Mandarin
sōusuǒTraditional: 搜索
Translation
to search, to search for, to comb through
Word origin
A compound of two near-synonyms: 搜 (sōu, to search, the hand radical 扌 with 叟 for sound) and 索 (suǒ, a rope, hence to seek something out).
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 搜 (sōu, to search) + 索 (suǒ, to seek out)
Stroke order
搜
索
Examples
。
I searched for this name online.
。
The police are combing the hills for the missing child.
评。
You could search for reviews of this restaurant.
。
We searched for ages and got nowhere.
。
This program searches very quickly.
搜索 (sōu suǒ) is systematic searching. Two settings dominate: the internet, where 搜索引擎 is a search engine, and a search operation on the ground, where police 搜索 a hillside for somebody missing.
It is formal and slightly technical. The everyday word for looking for something is 找, and swapping them out is the commonest slip here: 我在搜索我的钥匙 sounds like you have deployed a task force, when you meant 我在找我的钥匙.
In casual speech about the web, people often shorten it to 搜, as in 搜一下. That works; the full 搜索 sits better in writing and in headlines.
Where this fits
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搜索: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "搜索" (to search, to search for, to comb through): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 51.