Onyomi: タン · Kunyomi: さが.す, さぐ.る · Meanings: grope, look for, search
Kanji for grope, look for, search
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探 is made of the hand radical 扌 (representing action or doing) and 罙 (originally meaning “deep or hidden place”). Ancient writers imagined someone using their hand to carefully reach into hidden places, feeling around to find something lost or unknown. Together, the character shows the act of actively searching or investigating, reaching out to uncover what is hidden.
探 combines the hand (扌) with a symbol for hidden places (罙). It represents reaching out to search, explore, or investigate something that’s not easily seen.
Picture yourself stretching your hand (扌) into a dark corner (罙), feeling around carefully to find a lost treasure. That’s 探 — the kanji for searching or looking for something hidden.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 探す | さがす | to search for, to look for, to hunt for, to seek | common JLPT-N4 JLPT-N2 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 探検 | たんけん | exploration, expedition | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 探る | さぐる | to feel around for, to fumble for, to grope for, to search for, to look for | common JLPT-N2 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Transitive verb |
| 探偵 | たんてい | detective, investigator, sleuth | common Noun |
| 探究 | たんきゅう | research, investigation, enquiry, inquiry, study | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 探索 | たんさく | search, lookup, hunt, (item of) research, exploration, investigation | Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 探求 | たんきゅう | search, quest, pursuit | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 探し回る | さがしまわる | to search about for, to hunt around for, to look high and low for, to look everywhere for | common Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Transitive verb |
| 探検隊 | たんけんたい | exploration party, expedition team | common Noun |
| 探し物 | さがしもの | looking for something, searching for something | common Noun |
| 探し求める | さがしもとめる | to search for, to seek for, to look for | Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 探偵小説 | たんていしょうせつ | detective story | Noun |
| 探し出す | さがしだす | to track down, to locate, to find out, to smoke out, to ferret out, to chase up, to discover | Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 探検家 | たんけんか | explorer | Noun |
| 探究者 | たんきゅうしゃ | investigator, researcher | Noun |