Japanese symbol for “seek”
探す
さがす
Romaji: sagasu
to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to seek
In Japanese, seek is 探す, read さがす (sagasu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5s, vt to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to seek
- v5s, vt to search (a house, pocket, etc.); to search through; to rummage in (e.g. a drawer); to fish around
Written forms: 探す、捜す. Readings: さがす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “seek”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| シーク | シーク shiiku | seek |
| 図る | はかる hakaru | to aim for; to strive for; to work towards |
| 求める | もとめる motomeru | to seek; to search for; to look for |
| 仰ぐ | あおぐ aogu | to ask for (e.g. guidance); to seek; to turn to (someone) for |
| 求む | もとむ motomu | to seek; to search for; to pursue (pleasure) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 探検 | たんけん tanken | exploration; expedition |
| 探索 | たんさく tansaku | search; lookup; hunt |
| 探偵 | たんてい tantei | detective; investigator; sleuth |
| 探知 | たんち tanchi | detection |
| 探査 | たんさ tansa | probe; inquiry; enquiry |
See also: Chinese symbol for “seek”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.