搜索

• Pinyin: sōu suǒ
• Hanzi breakdown: 搜 = 扌(hand) + 叟, to search; 索 = 糸 (silk) + 冖 + 十, rope/to seek

Meaning

To search; to look up. Especially used for online searches.

A formal term for searching, particularly associated with internet searches and search engines. Also used for rescue searches (搜索救援) and military searches. More formal than 搜 alone. Common collocations include 搜索引擎 (search engine) and 搜索结果 (search results).

Examples

1. 在搜索引擎里输入关键词就能找到相关信息。 Enter keywords in the search engine to find relevant information.
2. 救援队正在搜索失联登山者的下落。 The rescue team is searching for the whereabouts of the missing climbers.
3. 我搜索了好几个网站，终于找到了这本绝版书的电子版。 I searched several websites and finally found an electronic version of this out-of-print book.

Usage Guide

Context: internet, technology, investigation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你搜索一下这个关键词。(Search for this keyword.)
• 搜索结果有很多。(There are many search results.)

Don't Say

• 搜索我的朋友 for finding a friend — for locating people socially, use 找; 搜索 implies systematic investigation

Origin & History

Compound of 搜 (to search) + 索 (rope/to seek), meaning to search and seek out.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal