What does buscar mean in English?

Buscar means "to search/look for" in English.

How do you conjugate buscar in Spanish?

Buscar is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What should I know about using buscar?

Buscar is a regular -ar verb with spelling change in preterite

What verbs are related to buscar?

Verbs related to buscar include: rebuscar. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use buscar in a sentence?

Example: "Busco mis llaves por todas partes." which means "I'm looking for my keys everywhere." in English.

What are synonyms for buscar?

Spanish synonyms for buscar include: procurar, investigar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Buscar Conjugation

Q: What are common idiomatic expressions with buscar?

Common idiomatic expressions using buscar include: "buscar pelea" (to look for a fight / to be looking for trouble), "buscar tres pies al gato" (to look for problems where there are none), "buscarse la vida" (to make a living / to fend for oneself). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

to search/look for in Spanish

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

buscando

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

buscado

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	busco I search/look for	I search/look for
tú	buscas you search/look for	you search/look for
él/ella/usted	busca he/she/you search/look fors	he/she/you search/look fors
nosotros	buscamos we search/look for	we search/look for
vosotros	buscáis you all search/look for	you all search/look for
ellos/ustedes	buscan they/you all search/look for	they/you all search/look for

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	buscaba I used to search/look for	I used to search/look for
tú	buscabas you used to search/look for	you used to search/look for
él/ella/usted	buscaba he/she/you used to search/look for	he/she/you used to search/look for
nosotros	buscábamos we used to search/look for	we used to search/look for
vosotros	buscabais you all used to search/look for	you all used to search/look for
ellos/ustedes	buscaban they/you all used to search/look for	they/you all used to search/look for

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	buscé I search/look fored	I search/look fored
tú	buscaste you search/look fored	you search/look fored
él/ella/usted	buscó he/she/you search/look fored	he/she/you search/look fored
nosotros	buscamos we search/look fored	we search/look fored
vosotros	buscasteis you all search/look fored	you all search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	buscaron they/you all search/look fored	they/you all search/look fored

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	buscaré I will search/look for	I will search/look for
tú	buscarás you will search/look for	you will search/look for
él/ella/usted	buscará he/she/you will search/look for	he/she/you will search/look for
nosotros	buscaremos we will search/look for	we will search/look for
vosotros	buscaréis you all will search/look for	you all will search/look for
ellos/ustedes	buscarán they/you all will search/look for	they/you all will search/look for

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	buscaría I would search/look for	I would search/look for
tú	buscarías you would search/look for	you would search/look for
él/ella/usted	buscaría he/she/you would search/look for	he/she/you would search/look for
nosotros	buscaríamos we would search/look for	we would search/look for
vosotros	buscaríais you all would search/look for	you all would search/look for
ellos/ustedes	buscarían they/you all would search/look for	they/you all would search/look for

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	busce that I search/look for	that I search/look for
tú	busces that you search/look for	that you search/look for
él/ella/usted	busce that he/she/you search/look for	that he/she/you search/look for
nosotros	buscemos that we search/look for	that we search/look for
vosotros	buscéis that you all search/look for	that you all search/look for
ellos/ustedes	buscen that they/you all search/look for	that they/you all search/look for

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	buscara or buscase that I search/look fored	that I search/look fored
tú	buscaras or buscases that you search/look fored	that you search/look fored
él/ella/usted	buscara or buscase that he/she/you search/look fored	that he/she/you search/look fored
nosotros	buscáramos or buscásemos that we search/look fored	that we search/look fored
vosotros	buscarais or buscaseis that you all search/look fored	that you all search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	buscaran or buscasen that they/you all search/look fored	that they/you all search/look fored

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he buscado I have search/look fored	I have search/look fored
tú	has buscado you have search/look fored	you have search/look fored
él/ella/usted	ha buscado he/she/you have search/look fored	he/she/you have search/look fored
nosotros	hemos buscado we have search/look fored	we have search/look fored
vosotros	habéis buscado you all have search/look fored	you all have search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	han buscado they/you all have search/look fored	they/you all have search/look fored

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había buscado I had search/look fored	I had search/look fored
tú	habías buscado you had search/look fored	you had search/look fored
él/ella/usted	había buscado he/she/you had search/look fored	he/she/you had search/look fored
nosotros	habíamos buscado we had search/look fored	we had search/look fored
vosotros	habíais buscado you all had search/look fored	you all had search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	habían buscado they/you all had search/look fored	they/you all had search/look fored

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube buscado I had search/look fored	I had search/look fored
tú	hubiste buscado you had search/look fored	you had search/look fored
él/ella/usted	hubo buscado he/she/you had search/look fored	he/she/you had search/look fored
nosotros	hubimos buscado we had search/look fored	we had search/look fored
vosotros	hubisteis buscado you all had search/look fored	you all had search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	hubieron buscado they/you all had search/look fored	they/you all had search/look fored

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré buscado I will have search/look fored	I will have search/look fored
tú	habrás buscado you will have search/look fored	you will have search/look fored
él/ella/usted	habrá buscado he/she/you will have search/look fored	he/she/you will have search/look fored
nosotros	habremos buscado we will have search/look fored	we will have search/look fored
vosotros	habréis buscado you all will have search/look fored	you all will have search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	habrán buscado they/you all will have search/look fored	they/you all will have search/look fored

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría buscado I would have search/look fored	I would have search/look fored
tú	habrías buscado you would have search/look fored	you would have search/look fored
él/ella/usted	habría buscado he/she/you would have search/look fored	he/she/you would have search/look fored
nosotros	habríamos buscado we would have search/look fored	we would have search/look fored
vosotros	habríais buscado you all would have search/look fored	you all would have search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	habrían buscado they/you all would have search/look fored	they/you all would have search/look fored

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya buscado that I have search/look fored	that I have search/look fored
tú	hayas buscado that you have search/look fored	that you have search/look fored
él/ella/usted	haya buscado that he/she/you have search/look fored	that he/she/you have search/look fored
nosotros	hayamos buscado that we have search/look fored	that we have search/look fored
vosotros	hayáis buscado that you all have search/look fored	that you all have search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	hayan buscado that they/you all have search/look fored	that they/you all have search/look fored

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera buscado that I had search/look fored	that I had search/look fored
tú	hubieras buscado that you had search/look fored	that you had search/look fored
él/ella/usted	hubiera buscado that he/she/you had search/look fored	that he/she/you had search/look fored
nosotros	hubiéramos buscado that we had search/look fored	that we had search/look fored
vosotros	hubierais buscado that you all had search/look fored	that you all had search/look fored
ellos/ustedes	hubieran buscado that they/you all had search/look fored	that they/you all had search/look fored

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	busca	search/look for! (you)
usted	busce	search/look for! (you formal)
nosotros	buscemos	let's search/look for!
vosotros	buscad	search/look for! (you all)
ustedes	buscen	search/look for! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no busces	don't search/look for! (you)
usted	no busce	don't search/look for! (you formal)
nosotros	no buscemos	let's not search/look for!
vosotros	no buscéis	don't search/look for! (you all)
ustedes	no buscen	don't search/look for! (you all)

More About "buscar"

Idiomatic Expressions

buscar pelea

to look for a fight / to be looking for trouble

💡 Provoking conflict or being confrontational

buscar tres pies al gato

to look for problems where there are none

💡 Overcomplicating things unnecessarily

buscarse la vida

to make a living / to fend for oneself

💡 Finding ways to survive or support oneself

buscarse problemas

to ask for trouble

💡 Doing things that will lead to problems

irse a buscar

to go pick up / to go get

💡 Going to retrieve someone or something

Examples in Context

Busco mis llaves por todas partes.

I'm looking for my keys everywhere.

Present

Busqué trabajo durante tres meses.

I looked for work for three months.

Preterite

¿Qué estás buscando?

What are you looking for?

Present Progressive

He buscado información en internet.

I have searched for information on the internet.

Present Perfect

Te buscaré cuando llegue.

I will look for you when I arrive.

Future

Related Verbs

rebuscar(to search thoroughly, rummage)

compound - to search thoroughly

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

procurar(to seek, try to obtain)

More formal

investigar(to investigate, research)

For thorough searching or research

Antonyms:

encontrar(to find)

hallar(to find)

Usage Notes

•Buscar is a regular -ar verb with spelling change in preterite
•Spelling change: c→qu before e in preterite (busqué) and present subjunctive (busque)
•Main meaning: to look for, to search for, to seek
•Takes direct object (no preposition needed): buscar trabajo (to look for work)
•Can mean "to pick up": buscar a alguien (to pick someone up)
•Reflexive "buscarse" often implies bringing something upon oneself
•Common with "por" to indicate location: buscar por la casa (to search through the house)
•Present subjunctive: busque, busques, busque (c→qu before e)

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Buscar Conjugation

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

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