cerchiamo

Cerchiamo is the first-person plural present indicative of the Italian verb cercare, meaning to search, look for, or seek. It can also express a suggestion or exhortation: “let’s search” or “let us search.” In everyday language it is a versatile form used to propose joint action or to describe a current activity.

Conjugation and usage notes: Cercare is regular in many tenses, and the present tense forms include io cerco, tu cerchi, lui/lei cerca, noi cerchiamo, voi cercate, loro cercano. The form cerchiamo is thus used for “we search” and, when used as an imperative for noi, for “let’s search” (cerchiamo una soluzione, Let’s look for a solution).

Common uses: Cerchiamo can denote a physical search (Cerchiamo le chiavi = We’re searching for the keys) or a more abstract pursuit (Cerchiamo una soluzione = Let’s look for a solution). It is frequently followed by di + infinitive to express effort or attempt, as in cerchiamo di capire (we'll try to understand). The phrase is widely used in everyday speech, writing, and media.

Etymology and related forms: Cercare comes from Latin cercare or circare, linked to a sense of going around or seeking. The spelling and pronunciation reflect Italian phonology, with a hard c before e and i. Related forms include ricercare (to seek out, to search for thoroughly) and other compounds built with cercare.

See also: cercare in various tenses, cercare di, ricercare, and common collocations with cerchiamo in practical contexts.