ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa)

verb A common everyday verb meaning 'to search/look for'; also spelled ढूंढना (dhoondhnaa) with the anusvara instead of the chandrabindu, both equally standard.
Sense 1 : to search for, look for
verb, transitive
Synonyms: खोजना (khojnaa), तलाशना (talaashnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb of the classic Indian household scene: someone hunting for their चश्मा (chashmaa, 'glasses') or चाबी (chaabii, 'keys') while shouting for help from another room. You'll also hear it in the common rhetorical complaint मैं तुम्हें कहाँ-कहाँ ढूँढ रहा था (main tumhen kahaan-kahaan dhoondh rahaa thaa, 'I was searching for you everywhere'), often said half-exasperated, half-relieved.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use खोजना (khojnaa) and ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa) interchangeably, which is fine in most everyday contexts, but ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa) is the word you'll hear far more often in casual speech about misplaced everyday things -- keys, phone, glasses -- while खोजना (khojnaa) leans slightly more into searching for something abstract or significant (a job, the truth). 2) The object searched for takes no postposition unless it is a specific, definite person or animal, in which case को (ko) appears: चाबी ढूँढो (chaabii dhoondho, 'look for the key') vs. बच्चे को ढूँढो (bachche ko dhoondho, 'look for the child').
Sample Sentences:
मेरा चश्मा कहीं नहीं मिल रहा, तुम भी ज़रा ढूँढो। My glasses are nowhere to be found, you look for them too.
(meraa chashmaa kahiin nahiin mil rahaa, tum bhii zaraa dhoondho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मैं तुम्हें कहाँ-कहाँ ढूँढ रहा था, और तुम यहाँ बैठे थे! I was searching for you everywhere, and you were sitting right here!
(main tumhen kahaan-kahaan dhoondh rahaa thaa, aur tum yahaan baithe the!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर सुबह अपनी चाबियाँ ढूँढता है क्योंकि वह उन्हें कहीं भी रख देता है। He searches for his keys every morning because he puts them down anywhere.
(vah har subah apnii chaabiyaan dhoondhtaa hai kyonki vah unhen kahiin bhii rakh detaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें अपना फ़ोन मिल गया, या अभी भी ढूँढ रही हो? Did you find your phone, or are you still looking for it?
(kyaa tumhen apnaa fon mil gayaa, yaa abhii bhii dhoondh rahii ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुलिस उस लापता बच्चे को कई दिनों से ढूँढ रही है। The police have been searching for that missing child for several days.
(pulis us laaptaa bachche ko kaii dinon se dhoondh rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम अपना सामान ढूँढो तो शायद वह अलमारी में मिल जाए। If you search for your things, you might find them in the cupboard.
(agar tum apnaa saamaan dhoondho to shaayad vah almaarii men mil jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अच्छी नौकरी ढूँढना आज के ज़माने में आसान नहीं है। Finding a good job is not easy in this day and age.
(achchhii naukrii dhoondhnaa aaj ke zamaane men aasaan nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे उसका पता होता, तो मैं उसे इतनी देर तक न ढूँढता। If I had known his address, I wouldn't have searched for him for so long.
(agar mujhe uskaa pataa hotaa, to main use itnii der tak n dhoondhtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उस पुरानी किताब की एक-एक पंक्ति में सच्चाई ढूँढी गई। The truth was searched for in every single line of that old book.
(us puraanii kitaab kii ek-ek pankti men sachchaaii dhoondhii gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
कृपया अपना समान ढूँढते समय काउंटर पर बताई गई सूची का ध्यान रखें। Please keep the list mentioned at the counter in mind while searching for your belongings.
(kripyaa apnaa samaan dhoondhte samay kaauntar par bataaii gaii soochii kaa dhyaan rakhen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हम कल एक नया घर ढूँढेंगे क्योंकि यह वाला बहुत छोटा है। We will look for a new house tomorrow because this one is too small.
(ham kal ek nayaa ghar dhoondhenge kyonki yah vaalaa bahut chhotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa)
infinitive oblique: ढूँढने (dhoondhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): ढूँढता (dhoondhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): ढूँढते (dhoondhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): ढूँढती (dhoondhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): ढूँढतीं (dhoondhtiin)
continuous (sg.m): ढूँढ रहा (dhoondh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): ढूँढ रहे (dhoondh rahe)
continuous (sg.f): ढूँढ रही (dhoondh rahii)
continuous (pl.f): ढूँढ रहीं (dhoondh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): ढूँढा (dhoondhaa)
perfective (pl.m): ढूँढे (dhoondhe)
perfective (sg.f): ढूँढी (dhoondhii)
perfective (pl.f): ढूँढीं (dhoondhiin)
imperative (informal): ढूँढ (dhoondh)
imperative (neutral): ढूँढो (dhoondho)
imperative (formal): ढूँढिए (dhoondhie)
future (1sg.m): ढूँढूँगा (dhoondhoongaa)
future (1sg.f): ढूँढूँगी (dhoondhoongii)
future (1pl.m): ढूँढेंगे (dhoondhenge)
future (1pl.f): ढूँढेंगी (dhoondhengii)
future (2sg.m): ढूँढेगा (dhoondhegaa)
future (2sg.f): ढूँढेगी (dhoondhegii)
future (2pl.m): ढूँढोगे (dhoondhoge)
future (2pl.f): ढूँढोगी (dhoondhogii)
future (3sg.m): ढूँढेगा (dhoondhegaa)
future (3sg.f): ढूँढेगी (dhoondhegii)
future (3pl.m): ढूँढेंगे (dhoondhenge)
future (3pl.f): ढूँढेंगी (dhoondhengii)
subjunctive (1sg): ढूँढूँ (dhoondhoon)
subjunctive (1pl): ढूँढें (dhoondhen)
subjunctive (2sg): ढूँढे (dhoondhe)
subjunctive (2pl): ढूँढो (dhoondho)
subjunctive (3sg): ढूँढे (dhoondhe)
subjunctive (3pl): ढूँढें (dhoondhen)