Seek in Different Languages
Discover 'Seek' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'seek' is a powerful and versatile verb, signifying the act of searching or trying to find something or someone. It's a word that transcends cultures and languages, and understanding its translations can help us connect with people from all over the world. 'Seek' holds great cultural importance, as it represents our innate desire to learn, grow, and explore. From the ancient philosophers seeking wisdom to the modern-day adventurers seeking new experiences, the act of seeking is a fundamental aspect of the human experience.
Moreover, the word 'seek' is steeped in historical context. In many religious texts, seeking is portrayed as a noble pursuit, whether it's seeking knowledge, truth, or enlightenment. In literature, characters who seek are often depicted as heroes on a quest for something greater than themselves.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's no wonder that someone might want to know the translation of 'seek' in different languages. By understanding the nuances of this word in various languages, we can deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human culture.
Seek
Seek in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | soek | ||
| The Afrikaans word "soek" is cognate with the Dutch word "zoeken", which also means "to seek". | |||
| Amharic | ፈልግ | ||
| The Amharic word “ፈልግ” (seek) can also mean “to search for” or “to strive for”. | |||
| Hausa | nema | ||
| The word "nema" can also be used to describe a search for knowledge or understanding. | |||
| Igbo | chọọ | ||
| "Chọọ" can also mean "to look for" or "to find". | |||
| Malagasy | mitadiava | ||
| The Malagasy word "Mitadiava" can also mean "to look for" or "to search for". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | funani | ||
| In Nyanja, some argue that "funani" may also be used in place of "find" or "get" but only in specific contexts. | |||
| Shona | tsvaga | ||
| 'Tsvaga' in Shona also means 'search' or 'look for'. | |||
| Somali | raadso | ||
| Raadso can also mean 'to go or travel' in general, not just in search of something. | |||
| Sesotho | batla | ||
| The word 'batla' in Sesotho not only means 'seek', but it also refers to the action of 'searching' and 'inquiring'. | |||
| Swahili | tafuta | ||
| The word 'tafuta' (seek) is originally from Kihaya and came to Swahili via Bantu. | |||
| Xhosa | khangela | ||
| The word, which is also used to mean "hunt," is derived from the Proto-Bantu verb "-ŋganda" (to follow a track). | |||
| Yoruba | wá | ||
| Wá (seek) can also mean come, go, or arrive in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | funa | ||
| The word "funa" can also mean "to try" or "to attempt". | |||
| Bambara | ɲini | ||
| Ewe | di | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shakisha | ||
| Lingala | koluka | ||
| Luganda | okunoonya | ||
| Sepedi | nyaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwehwɛ | ||
Seek in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طلب | ||
| In Arabic, "طلب" can also mean "to ask for" or "to order". | |||
| Hebrew | לְחַפֵּשׂ | ||
| The Hebrew word "לְחַפֵּשׂ" ("seek") derives from the root "ח.פ.שׂ," which also means "to investigate" or "to explore." | |||
| Pashto | لټول | ||
| The word "لټول" (seek) also refers to "searching for something or trying to determine something"} | |||
| Arabic | طلب | ||
| In Arabic, "طلب" can also mean "to ask for" or "to order". | |||
Seek in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kërkoj | ||
| The Albanian word "kërkoj" originates from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer-, meaning "to turn, bend, coil". | |||
| Basque | bilatu | ||
| Bilatu has also been used in the sense of “to find” as well as “be born” (the latter meaning was found in 15th and 16th century literature). | |||
| Catalan | buscar | ||
| "Buscar" is derived from the Latin word "buscare", but also means "to avoid" or "to flee from" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | tražiti | ||
| In Slavic languages, the word "tražiti" can also mean "to ask" or "to request". | |||
| Danish | søge | ||
| The Danish word "søge" is etymologically related to the English word "seek" and has the alternate meaning of "apply". | |||
| Dutch | zoeken | ||
| "Zoeken" originally meant "to see" and is related to "zien" (to see) and "kijken" (to look). | |||
| English | seek | ||
| The term 'seek' originates from the Old English word 'secean,' meaning 'to pursue' or 'to search for.' | |||
| French | chercher | ||
| The word "chercher" originates from the Latin word "circare", meaning "to go around" or "to search". | |||
| Frisian | sykje | ||
| The Frisian word "sykje" is closely related to the English "seek" and the German "suchen" and has additional meanings including "think about" and "consider" | |||
| Galician | buscar | ||
| Galician "buscar" is of Latin origin, from "percontāre", but in modern usage it has also come to mean "to look at". | |||
| German | suchen | ||
| "Suchen" also means "to search" or "to look for" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | leita | ||
| Leita and its cognate leita all share the meaning "to seek" from their PIE root *leyt-. | |||
| Irish | lorg | ||
| Lorg also means 'choice' and is related to the word 'lore' in English. | |||
| Italian | cercare | ||
| "Cercare" comes from the Latin "circare," which means "to go around" or "to surround," and can also mean "to search for" or "to investigate." | |||
| Luxembourgish | sichen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word 'sichen' also means 'to yearn', 'to long', and 'to search for' | |||
| Maltese | tfittex | ||
| It's derived from the Arabic word 'fittash' meaning 'to look for' or 'to investigate'. | |||
| Norwegian | søke | ||
| The Norwegian word "søke" is derived from Old Norse "sók" meaning "search" or "look for," and is related to the English word "seek". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | procurar | ||
| In Portuguese, "procurar" also means "to attempt" or "to endeavor" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sireadh | ||
| The word 'sireadh' shares an etymological root with the Sanskrit word 'śri' meaning 'prosperity' or 'radiance'. | |||
| Spanish | buscar | ||
| The Spanish word 'buscar' comes from the Latin 'perscrutare,' meaning 'to search thoroughly.' | |||
| Swedish | söka | ||
| The word "söka" is derived from the Old Norse word "sœkja," meaning "to look for, search for." | |||
| Welsh | ceisio | ||
| "Ceisio" shares the root "cis/cais" with "cisten" ("chest") and "caseg" ("cheese"), implying a sense of containing or enclosing. | |||
Seek in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шукаць | ||
| Belarusian word "шукаць" comes from an Old East Slavic word that has the original meaning of "move" or "wander". | |||
| Bosnian | tražiti | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "seek," the Bosnian word "tražiti" can also mean "to request" or "to inquire." | |||
| Bulgarian | търси | ||
| In Bulgarian, "търси" comes from the Old Bulgarian verb "trьsati", meaning "to look for", and has a related meaning in Polish, "trząść" ("to shake"). | |||
| Czech | hledat | ||
| The original meaning of the Czech word "hledat" ("seek") was "to stare" or "to gaze". It is related to the archaic form "hled". "Hled" was used to refer to a person or animal watching or staring at something, and it was also used to describe something looking or appearing in a particular way. | |||
| Estonian | otsima | ||
| The word "otsima" has a Proto-Finno-Ugric origin, meaning "to find" or "to get". | |||
| Finnish | etsiä | ||
| Etymologically related to 'to wander,' like German 'irren' or Swedish 'irra'. | |||
| Hungarian | keresni | ||
| The word keresni ('seek') in Hungarian is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷer-, meaning 'to go, wander, turn'. | |||
| Latvian | meklēt | ||
| The Latvian word "meklēt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mek-, meaning "to strive after" or "to desire" | |||
| Lithuanian | ieškoti | ||
| Lithuanian "Ieškoti" also means to "search for", "look for", "seek out" | |||
| Macedonian | бараат | ||
| The word "бараат" originates from the Proto-Slavic root *borati meaning "to take" or "to gather". | |||
| Polish | szukać | ||
| The Polish word "szukać" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъkati, meaning "to search" or "to look for", also related to the German "suchen" and English "seek". | |||
| Romanian | căuta | ||
| "Căuta" comes from the Latin word "captare" meaning "to try to catch", but can also mean "to strive" or "to aim". | |||
| Russian | стремиться | ||
| The word "стремиться" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *ster-, meaning "to strive" or "to tend towards." | |||
| Serbian | тражити | ||
| The verb "тражити" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*tьrgati" meaning "to search" or "to gather." | |||
| Slovak | hľadať | ||
| The Slovak word 'hľadať' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'iskati', which also means 'to desire' or 'to wish'. | |||
| Slovenian | iskati | ||
| The word "iskati" is often used in Slovenian to refer to the act of searching for something, such as information or a lost object. | |||
| Ukrainian | шукати | ||
| The word "шукати" is a cognate of the Polish word "szukać", which also means "seek". | |||
Seek in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সন্ধান করা | ||
| The word "সন্ধান করা" can also mean "to search" or "to investigate". | |||
| Gujarati | લેવી | ||
| "લેવો " is also used with the sense of to take, to bring, to accept and to carry. | |||
| Hindi | मांगना | ||
| मांगना (seek) is derived from the Sanskrit word "याच" (yach) | |||
| Kannada | ಹುಡುಕುವುದು | ||
| Malayalam | അന്വേഷിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | शोधा | ||
| The Marathi word "शोधा" finds its roots in Sanskrit "सोधन" (investigation), and can also refer to inquiry, examination, or exploration. | |||
| Nepali | खोज्नुहोस् | ||
| The Nepali word "खोज्नुहोस्" can also mean "to search" or "to look for" in English. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੀ ਭਾਲ ਕਰੋ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සොයන්න | ||
| "සොයන්න" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱey- "to perceive, notice, seek" and is related to the English word "see". | |||
| Tamil | தேடுங்கள் | ||
| The Tamil word "தேடுங்கள்" (seek) also means "search" and "look for" in English. | |||
| Telugu | కోరుకుంటారు | ||
| Urdu | تلاش | ||
| تلاش also means 'struggle' or 'effort' in Urdu, indicating the challenges often associated with the pursuit of something. | |||
Seek in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 寻求 | ||
| 寻求 is formed by two characters that, together, means 'look for' but individually they mean 'ask' and 'request'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 尋求 | ||
| 尋求 (Traditional Chinese) also means to explore, inquire, or investigate. | |||
| Japanese | 求める | ||
| The word "求める" can also mean "to ask for" or "to request". | |||
| Korean | 찾다. 목표물 탐색 | ||
| The verb "찾다" can also mean to find, look for, or search. | |||
| Mongolian | хайх | ||
| The Mongolian word "хайх" also means "to search for" or "to investigate". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှာ | ||
| "ရှာ" (seek) may also mean to request, look for, or find and obtain. | |||
Seek in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mencari | ||
| The word 'mencari' can also mean 'to look for', 'to search for', or 'to try to find'. | |||
| Javanese | golek | ||
| The word "golek" in Javanese can also mean "make" or "create", derived from the Sanskrit word "grha" meaning "house" or "building"} | |||
| Khmer | ស្វែងរក | ||
| Lao | ຊອກຫາ | ||
| In some regions of Laos, "ຊອກຫາ" can also colloquially mean "to borrow something". | |||
| Malay | mencari | ||
| The word "mencari" also means "to ask for" or "to inquire about" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | แสวงหา | ||
| แสวงหา derives from the Sanskrit word "svayambhu," meaning "self-existent." | |||
| Vietnamese | tìm | ||
| "Tìm" also translates to "find," "look for," "search," and "endeavor." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hanapin | ||
Seek in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | axtarmaq | ||
| **Etymology**: From the Turkish **axtarmaq**; related to the Azerbaijani verb **axmaq** ('to ask'). | |||
| Kazakh | іздеу | ||
| In Kazakh, "іздеу" has additional meaning "to investigate" or "to explore". | |||
| Kyrgyz | издөө | ||
| "Издеө" also means "research" or "investigation" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ҷустуҷӯ кардан | ||
| Turkmen | gözlemek | ||
| Uzbek | izlamoq | ||
| The Uzbek word "izlamoq" can also mean "to beg" or "to request". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىزدە | ||
Seek in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻimi | ||
| ʻimi also means 'to sniff' or 'to smell' in Hawaiian, and is cognate with the Māori word 'himine' ('to smell'). | |||
| Maori | rapua | ||
| The word 'rapua' in Maori also means 'to inquire' or 'to ask'. | |||
| Samoan | saili | ||
| The word "saili" also has the alternate meaning of "request" or "ask for" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maghanap | ||
| Maghanap is cognate with the word 'mana' meaning 'to think' and 'mag-isip' meaning 'to ponder' or 'to consider' in Tagalog. | |||
Seek in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | thaqhaña | ||
| Guarani | heka | ||
Seek in International Languages
| Esperanto | serĉi | ||
| The word "serĉi" also has a connotation of diligent searching or investigation. | |||
| Latin | quaerere | ||
| The verb quaerere, meaning "seek," shares an origin with the word "quest," indicating an exploration or search for knowledge. | |||
Seek in Others Languages
| Greek | ψάχνω | ||
| "Ψάχνω" etymologically relates to words for "searching by touch or smell", such as "Ψάω" (search, scratch). | |||
| Hmong | nrhiav | ||
| The Hmong word "nrhiav" also means "investigate" or "inquire". | |||
| Kurdish | lêgerrîn | ||
| The word 'lêgerrîn' comes from the Old Kurdish word 'lêger', which means 'to find' or 'to obtain'. | |||
| Turkish | aramak | ||
| "Aramak" also means "to call" in Turkish, deriving from the Persian word "āram", meaning "rest" or "quiet". | |||
| Xhosa | khangela | ||
| The word, which is also used to mean "hunt," is derived from the Proto-Bantu verb "-ŋganda" (to follow a track). | |||
| Yiddish | זוכן | ||
| "זוכן" also means "treasure" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | funa | ||
| The word "funa" can also mean "to try" or "to attempt". | |||
| Assamese | বিচৰা | ||
| Aymara | thaqhaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | माँगल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހޯދުން | ||
| Dogri | मंगना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hanapin | ||
| Guarani | heka | ||
| Ilocano | agsapul | ||
| Krio | luk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەڕان | ||
| Maithili | ताकू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | zawng | ||
| Oromo | barbaaduu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଖୋଜ | | ||
| Quechua | maskay | ||
| Sanskrit | अन्विष्यति | ||
| Tatar | эзләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ድለ | ||
| Tsonga | lava | ||