Meaning

Primary

To Search For

Alternative

To Seek

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means search so the verb vocab version is to search for or to seek.

Reading

さがす
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you: You're searching all around for a "sagger" (さが) on your body. This is a flap of skin that is sagging on your body really far, and you probably should get it removed.

Context

Context Sentences

祖母を捜しているんです。アルツハイマーがあって、昨日から家に帰ってないんです。

I’m searching for my grandmother. She has Alzheimer's and hasn’t come home since yesterday.

昨日から、警察や町の人たちが、山で行方不明の男の子を捜しているんだけど、まだ見つかってないらしいよ。

Since yesterday, the police and townspeople have been searching for a missing boy in the mountains, but it seems that he hasn't been found yet.

真犯人は必ずオレが捜し出してみせるさ。

I will definitely find the real culprit.

私はすごくニッチな分野の探偵で、美術館から盗まれた絵画を捜す仕事をしています。

I am a private detective in a very niche field, and my job is to search for paintings that have been stolen from art museums.

Kanji Composition