The Italian verb "cercare" means "to search/look for" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "cercare" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "cercare" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | cerco |
| tu | you (informal) | cerchi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | cerca |
| noi | we | cerchiamo |
| voi | you all | cercate |
| loro | they | cercano |
Lui cerca un libro in biblioteca.
say it LOO-ee CHEHR-kah
He looks for a book in the library.
In other languages
- French Il cherche un livre à la bibliothèque.
- German Er sucht ein Buch in der Bibliothek.
- Spanish Él busca un libro en la biblioteca.
- Dutch Hij zoekt een boek in de bibliotheek.
Io cerco le mie chiavi di casa.
say it ee-OH CHEHR-koh
I look for my house keys.
In other languages
- French Je cherche mes clés de maison.
- German Ich suche meine Hausschlüssel.
- Spanish Busco mis llaves de casa.
- Dutch Ik zoek mijn huissleutels.
How to Conjugate "cercare" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho cercato |
| tu | you (informal) | hai cercato |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha cercato |
| noi | we | abbiamo cercato |
| voi | you all | avete cercato |
| loro | they | hanno cercato |
Lui ha cercato un lavoro.
say it LWEE ah cher-KAH-toh oon lah-VOR-oh
He looked for a job.
In other languages
- French Il a cherché un emploi.
- German Er suchte einen Job.
- Spanish Él buscó trabajo.
- Dutch Hij zocht een baan.
Io ho cercato le chiavi.
say it EE-oh oh cher-KAH-toh leh KYAH-vee
I looked for the keys.
In other languages
- French J'ai cherché les clés.
- German Ich suchte nach den Schlüsseln.
- Spanish Busqué las llaves.
- Dutch Ik zocht naar de sleutels.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "cercare" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | cercavo |
| tu | you (informal) | cercavi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | cercava |
| noi | we | cercavamo |
| voi | you all | cercavate |
| loro | they | cercavano |
Lui cercava il suo cane smarrito.
say it LWEE cher-KAH-vah
He was looking for his lost dog.
In other languages
- French Il cherchait son chien perdu.
- German Er suchte seinen verlorenen Hund.
- Spanish Él estaba buscando a su perro perdido.
- Dutch Hij was op zoek naar zijn verloren hond.
Io cercavo le chiavi ovunque.
say it EE-oh cher-KAH-voh
I was looking for the keys everywhere.
In other languages
- French Je cherchais les clés partout.
- German Ich suchte überall nach den Schlüsseln.
- Spanish Estaba buscando las llaves por todas partes.
- Dutch Ik was overal naar de sleutels aan het zoeken.
How to Conjugate "cercare" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | cercherò |
| tu | you (informal) | cercherai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | cercherà |
| noi | we | cercheremo |
| voi | you all | cercherete |
| loro | they | cercheranno |
Lui cercherà la verità sempre.
say it LWEE cher-keh-RAH
He will look for the truth always.
In other languages
- French Il cherchera toujours la vérité.
- German Er wird immer nach der Wahrheit suchen.
- Spanish Él buscará siempre la verdad.
- Dutch Hij zal altijd naar de waarheid zoeken.
Io cercherò le mie chiavi.
say it EE-oh cher-keh-ROH
I will look for my keys.
In other languages
- French Je chercherai mes clés.
- German Ich werde nach meinen Schlüsseln suchen.
- Spanish Buscaré mis llaves.
- Dutch Ik zal naar mijn sleutels zoeken.
How to Conjugate "cercare" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | cercherei |
| tu | you (informal) | cercheresti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | cercherebbe |
| noi | we | cercheremmo |
| voi | you all | cerchereste |
| loro | they | cercherebbero |
Lui cercherebbe un hotel economico.
say it LWEE ker-KEH-reb-beh
He would look for a cheap hotel.
In other languages
- French Il chercherait un hôtel bon marché.
- German Er würde nach einem günstigen Hotel suchen.
- Spanish Él buscaría un hotel barato.
- Dutch Hij zou naar een goedkoop hotel zoeken.
Io cercherei un nuovo lavoro.
say it EE-oh ker-KEH-ray-ee
I would look for a new job.
In other languages
- French Je chercherais un nouvel emploi.
- German Ich würde nach einem neuen Job suchen.
- Spanish Buscaría un nuevo trabajo.
- Dutch Ik zou naar een nieuwe baan zoeken.
Frequently Asked Questions About "cercare"
Is "cercare" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Cercare" is a regular Italian verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "cercare" mean in English?
The Italian verb "cercare" means "to search/look for" in English.
How do you conjugate "cercare" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → cerco, tu → cerchi, lui/lei → cerca, noi → cerchiamo, voi → cercate, loro → cercano.
How many tenses does "cercare" have in Italian?
"Cercare" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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