buscaste

Buscaste is the second-person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb buscar, meaning “you searched” or “you looked for.” It is a regular -car verb in the preterite tense and is used to describe a completed action in the past.

Conjugation and related forms: buscar is conjugated as follows in the preterite: yo busqué, tú buscaste, él/ella/usted buscó, nosotros buscamos, vosotros buscasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes buscaron. In the present tense it is busco, buscas, busca, buscamos, buscáis, buscan, and in the imperfect it is buscaba, buscabas, buscaba, buscábamos, buscabais, buscaban. The spelling change in the yo form (busqué) is used to preserve the hard "c" before the "é."

Usage and examples: Buscaste is typically used to recount a past action of looking for something. Examples: “Ayer busqué mis llaves por toda la casa y no las encontré.” “Antes de salir, ¿buscaste el teléfono?” It is common in narrative and conversation, and it pairs with direct objects such as llaves, documentos, ideas, etc. regional variations may prefer different past-tense forms for formal or informal contexts (for example, vosotros forms in Spain, or ustedes in many Latin American dialects).

Notes: The verb buscar has a broad use beyond physical searching, including seeking solutions or information. It is often contrasted with procurar, which can carry a stronger sense of attempting or attempting with purpose.

Etymology and history: Buscar has medieval roots in Spanish and derives from older forms of the language; its exact origin outside of Spanish is not completely settled, but it has been part of the language since at least the medieval period.