buscarlo
boo-SKAR-loh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Necesito buscarlo antes de la cena.
A1I need to look for it before dinner.
Voy a buscarlo en la biblioteca.
A2I am going to look for him/it in the library.
¿Puedes terminar de buscarlo?
B1Can you finish looking for it?
💡 Grammar Points
Pronoun Placement Rule (Infinitive)
When you have two verbs together (like 'want to look'), the little word 'lo' (it/him) can either go before the first verb ('Lo quiero buscar') OR attached to the end of the second verb ('Quiero buscarlo').
The Meaning of 'lo'
The 'lo' attached to the end tells you that the thing being searched for is a single masculine item or person (e.g., el libro, el perro, el amigo).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Gender
Mistake: "Using 'buscarlo' when searching for a feminine thing like 'la llave' (the key)."
Correction: Use 'buscarla' instead. Remember: 'lo' for masculine, 'la' for feminine.
Separating the Pronoun
Mistake: "Saying 'Necesito buscar lo' (separating the words)."
Correction: When attaching to the infinitive, they must be written as one word: 'Necesito buscarlo'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Stress Shift
When attaching a pronoun like 'lo' to an infinitive, the original stress stays the same. The stress is still on the 'car' part: bus-CAR-lo.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: buscarlo
Question 1 of 2
Which of these is the correct way to say 'We should look for the phone' (el teléfono)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'buscarlo' one word instead of two?
In Spanish, when you attach a pronoun (like 'lo', 'la', 'me', 'te') to the end of an infinitive verb (like 'buscar'), they must be written together as a single word. This is called an enclitic pronoun.
When do I use 'buscarlo' versus 'lo busco'?
'Buscarlo' is the infinitive form, usually following another verb (e.g., 'Necesito buscarlo'). 'Lo busco' is the conjugated form, meaning 'I look for it' or 'I am looking for it' (e.g., 'Lo busco ahora').