Key facts

Chercher

To look for · to look for/to seek

A1Regular
Stem
cherch
Past participle
cherché

Examples

Je cherche mon chat.

I live in Italy.

Il ne cherche pas de travail.

He doesn't live alone.

Nous cherchions le bar.

We were living together.

Nous avons cherché partout.

We lived happily.

Présent

Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.

Group 1
Jecherche
Ilook for
Tucherches
Youlook for
Ilcherche
Helooks for
Nouscherchons
Welook for
Vouscherchez
Youlook for
Ilscherchent
Theylook for

Futur proche

Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.

Jevais chercher
Iam going to look for
Tuvas chercher
Youare going to look for
Ilva chercher
Heis going to look for
Nousallons chercher
Weare going to look for
Vousallez chercher
Youare going to look for
Ilsvont chercher
Theyare going to look for

Passé récent

Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.

Jeviens de chercher
Ihave just looked for
Tuviens de chercher
Youhave just looked for
Ilvient de chercher
Hehas just looked for
Nousvenons de chercher
Wehave just looked for
Vousvenez de chercher
Youhave just looked for
Ilsviennent de chercher
Theyhave just looked for

Passé composé

Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.

J'ai cherché
Ihave looked for
Tuas cherché
Youhave looked for
Ila cherché
Hehas looked for
Nousavons cherché
Wehave looked for
Vousavez cherché
Youhave looked for
Ilsont cherché
Theyhave looked for

Conditionnel présent

Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.

Jechercherais
Iwould look for
Tuchercherais
Youwould look for
Ilchercherait
Hewould look for
Nouschercherions
Wewould look for
Vouschercheriez
Youwould look for
Ilschercheraient
Theywould look for

Futur simple

Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.

Jechercherai
Iwill look for
Tuchercheras
Youwill look for
Ilcherchera
Hewill look for
Nouschercherons
Wewill look for
Vouschercherez
Youwill look for
Ilschercheront
Theywill look for

Imparfait

Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.

Jecherchais
Iwas looking for
Tucherchais
Youwere looking for
Ilcherchait
Hewas looking for
Nouscherchions
Were looking for
Vouscherchiez
Youwere looking for
Ilscherchaient
Theywere looking for

Impératif présent

Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.

(Tu)cherche
Youlook for
(Nous)cherchons
Welook for
(Vous)cherchez
Youlook for

Participe présent

Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.

cherchant
looking for

Gérondif présent

Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.

en cherchant
looking for

Similar conjugation models (Regular)

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Chercher | Verbs | Croissant Verbs