Inklingo

buscarlo

boo-SKAR-lohbusˈkaɾlo

buscarlo means to look for it in Spanish (referring to a masculine singular object).

to look for it, to search for him

Also: to seek it
VerbA2regular ar
A simple storybook illustration of a small child on their hands and knees peering intently under a bright yellow armchair, actively searching for a large red ball that is partially visible.
infinitivebuscar
gerundbuscando
past Participlebuscado

📝 In Action

Necesito buscarlo antes de la cena.

A1

I need to look for it before dinner.

Voy a buscarlo en la biblioteca.

A2

I am going to look for him/it in the library.

¿Puedes terminar de buscarlo?

B1

Can you finish looking for it?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • encontrarlo (to find it (opposite action))
  • localizarlo (to locate it)

Common Collocations

  • debes buscarloyou must look for it
  • es hora de buscarloit's time to look for it

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedbusca
yobusco
buscas
ellos/ellas/ustedesbuscan
nosotrosbuscamos
vosotrosbuscáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbuscaba
yobuscaba
buscabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesbuscaban
nosotrosbuscábamos
vosotrosbuscabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedbuscó
yobusqué
buscaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesbuscaron
nosotrosbuscamos
vosotrosbuscasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedbusque
yobusque
busques
ellos/ellas/ustedesbusquen
nosotrosbusquemos
vosotrosbusquéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbuscara / buscase
yobuscara / buscase
buscaras / buscases
ellos/ellas/ustedesbuscaran / buscasen
nosotrosbuscáramos / buscásemos
vosotrosbuscarais / buscaseis

✏️ 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

👥 Word Family
buscar(to look for)Verb
la búsqueda(the search)Noun
buscándolo(looking for it (gerund form))Verb
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

The verb 'buscar' comes from a mix of older Latin roots, possibly related to *buscare* (meaning to seek or look for). The suffix '-lo' comes directly from the Latin direct object pronoun *illum* (him/it).

First recorded: The base verb 'buscar' appeared in Spanish around the 13th century.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: buscá-loFrench: chercher

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

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').