找
to look for; to find
zhǎo
What does 找 mean?
找 (zhǎo) is the everyday verb for 'to look for' or 'to find' — the act of searching for someone or something. Three uses surprise English speakers. First, 找 covers BOTH the search and the result: 我找钥匙 ('I'm looking for my keys') and 我找到了 ('I found it') use the same root verb, with 到 added to mark success.
Second, 找人 / 找你 means 'to look for a person,' which in context often means 'to come see you' or 'to want to meet with you' — 经理找你 = 'the manager wants to see you.' Third, 找 also means 'to give change' in money contexts: 找你五块 = 'here's five yuan in change.' Pronounced with a clean third tone (zhǎo), not to be confused with the second-tone 找's lookalike characters.
Note: Everyday verb, used in both speech and writing. The same verb covers the action of searching and the result of finding — context tells you which.
Character breakdown
to look for; to seek; to give change
Memory hook: The 扌(hand) radical plus 戈 (a halberd) — your hand sweeping with a weapon, looking for something hidden.
Example sentences
我在找我的手机。
Wǒ zài zhǎo wǒ de shǒujī.
I'm looking for my phone.
spoken
你找谁？
Nǐ zhǎo shéi?
Who are you looking for?
spoken
他想找一个新工作。
Tā xiǎng zhǎo yí ge xīn gōngzuò.
He wants to find a new job.
neutral
老师找你。
Lǎoshī zhǎo nǐ.
The teacher wants to see you.
spoken
找你三块钱。
Zhǎo nǐ sān kuài qián.
Here's three yuan in change.
spoken
Common phrases with 找
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
找 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
More formal/written. 寻找真相 ('search for the truth') sounds literary. In daily speech, 找 is the natural choice; 寻找 belongs in news, novels, or essays.
查 means 'to look up / check / investigate' — used for information (查字典 'look up in a dictionary,' 查资料 'check materials'). 找 is for physical objects or people.
Don't confuse 找 with
我 (I/me) and 找 differ by one stroke: 我 has 丿 on top, 找 does not. Beginners flip them constantly. Memorize by hand: 找 starts with the hand radical 扌 on the left.
Visually similar shape on the right side. 教 means 'to teach.' Different left radical and totally different meaning.
找到
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
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