तलाशना (talaashnaa)

verb A single core sense: to search for or look for something/someone, usually with effort or purpose. Related to the noun तलाश (talaash, 'search').
Sense 1 : to search for, look for
verb, transitive
Synonyms: ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa), खोजना (khojnaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear तलाश (talaash) constantly in news headlines and job contexts -- नौकरी की तलाश (naukrii kii talaash, 'the search for a job') is a very common phrase in everyday conversation about employment. तलाशना (talaashnaa) is the verb form of that same noun, so learning one helps you recognize the other.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa) by default since it's the first search-verb they learn; तलाशना (talaashnaa) is perfectly common too but tends to sound a touch more deliberate or formal, as in searching for a job, a solution, or a missing person, rather than looking for your keys. 2) It takes a direct object without को (ko) for things (नौकरी तलाशना (naukrii talaashnaa, 'to search for a job')), but a person being searched for often does take को (ko) (उसे तलाशना (use talaashnaa, 'to search for him/her')).
Sample Sentences:
वह पिछले छह महीनों से नौकरी तलाश रहा है। He has been searching for a job for the last six months.
(vah pichhle chhah mahiinon se naukrii talaash rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुलिस लापता बच्चे को तलाश रही है। The police are searching for the missing child.
(pulis laaptaa bachche ko talaash rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपने खोए हुए बैग को हर जगह तलाशा। She searched for her lost bag everywhere.
(usne apne khoe hue baig ko har jagah talaashaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम शांति चाहते हो, तो उसे अपने भीतर तलाशो। If you want peace, search for it within yourself.
(agar tum shaanti chaahte ho, to use apne bhiitar talaasho।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
कंपनी एक अनुभवी इंजीनियर तलाश रही है। The company is looking for an experienced engineer.
(kampnii ek anubhvii injiiniyar talaash rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे यह किताब मिल जाती, तो मैं इतना समय बर्बाद न करता तलाशने में। If I had found this book, I wouldn't have wasted so much time searching for it.
(agar mujhe yah kitaab mil jaatii, to main itnaa samay barbaad n kartaa talaashne men।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर सुबह वह अखबार में नौकरी के विज्ञापन तलाशता है। Every morning he searches the newspaper for job advertisements.
(har subah vah akhbaar men naukrii ke vigyaapan talaashtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह ज़मीन खोदी जा रही है ताकि पुराने अवशेष तलाशे जा सकें। This ground is being dug up so that old remains can be searched for.
(yah zamiin khodii jaa rahii hai taaki puraane avshesh talaashe jaa saken।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
जब तक तुम खुद रास्ता नहीं तलाशोगे, कोई तुम्हारी मदद नहीं करेगा। Until you search for the path yourself, no one will help you.
(jab tak tum khud raastaa nahiin talaashoge, koii tumhaarii madad nahiin karegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैंने अपने फ़ोन में उसका नंबर बहुत तलाशा, पर नहीं मिला। I searched a lot for his number in my phone, but couldn't find it.
(mainne apne fon men uskaa nambar bahut talaashaa, par nahiin milaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मेरे लिए कोई अच्छा किरायेदार तलाश सकते हो? Can you search for a good tenant for me?
(kyaa tum mere lie koii achchhaa kiraayedaar talaash sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: तलाशना (talaashnaa)
infinitive oblique: तलाशने (talaashne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): तलाशता (talaashtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): तलाशते (talaashte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): तलाशती (talaashtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): तलाशतीं (talaashtiin)
continuous (sg.m): तलाश रहा (talaash rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): तलाश रहे (talaash rahe)
continuous (sg.f): तलाश रही (talaash rahii)
continuous (pl.f): तलाश रहीं (talaash rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): तलाशा (talaashaa)
perfective (pl.m): तलाशे (talaashe)
perfective (sg.f): तलाशी (talaashii)
perfective (pl.f): तलाशीं (talaashiin)
imperative (informal): तलाश (talaash)
imperative (neutral): तलाशो (talaasho)
imperative (formal): तलाशिए (talaashie)
future (1sg.m): तलाशूँगा (talaashoongaa)
future (1sg.f): तलाशूँगी (talaashoongii)
future (1pl.m): तलाशेंगे (talaashenge)
future (1pl.f): तलाशेंगी (talaashengii)
future (2sg.m): तलाशेगा (talaashegaa)
future (2sg.f): तलाशेगी (talaashegii)
future (2pl.m): तलाशोगे (talaashoge)
future (2pl.f): तलाशोगी (talaashogii)
future (3sg.m): तलाशेगा (talaashegaa)
future (3sg.f): तलाशेगी (talaashegii)
future (3pl.m): तलाशेंगे (talaashenge)
future (3pl.f): तलाशेंगी (talaashengii)
subjunctive (1sg): तलाशूँ (talaashoon)
subjunctive (1pl): तलाशें (talaashen)
subjunctive (2sg): तलाशे (talaashe)
subjunctive (2pl): तलाशो (talaasho)
subjunctive (3sg): तलाशे (talaashe)
subjunctive (3pl): तलाशें (talaashen)