尋たずねる

た

ず

ね

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

ask; inquire; enquire

Transitive verb used to ask a person a question or ask about information. It is somewhat more formal or careful than everyday 聞く in many contexts.

駅えき員いんに乗のり換かえ方かたを尋たずねた。
I asked a station attendant how to transfer trains.
面

めん

接せつ

で

前まえ

の

仕し

事ごと

に

つい

て

尋たず

ね

られ

た

。

I was asked about my previous job in the interview.

2

ichidan verb, transitive verb

search for; seek; look into; investigate

Only when written 尋ねる

Used for seeking someone or something, or looking into a matter; this sense is less common in everyday speech than 探す or 調べる and often feels written or narrative.

彼かれは生いき別わかれた母ははを尋たずねて、全ぜん国こくを旅たびした。
He traveled around the country in search of the mother he had been separated from.
失うしなわれた記き録ろくを尋たずねて、古ふるい資し料りょう館かんを回まわった。
I went around old archives looking for the lost records.

Written forms

尋たずねるUsage65%
Standard kanji spelling for both asking and seeking/searching meanings; this is the high-priority form.
たずねるUsage26%
訊たずねるUsage10%
Less common spelling that emphasizes asking or questioning; generally not used for the search or seek sense.

Kanji

尋inquire, fathom, look for
訊request, question, investigate

Similar words

聞きく
More common and broader: it can mean to hear, listen, or ask. 尋ねる focuses specifically on asking or inquiring and can sound more formal.
訪たずねる
Same reading but different meaning: 訪ねる means to visit a person or place, while 尋ねる means to ask or seek.
探さがす
The everyday verb for looking for something. 尋ねる in the search sense is more written or narrative and can imply seeking after a person, trace, or information.

Etymology

A native Japanese verb written conventionally with 尋, a kanji associated with seeking or inquiring. 訊 is a rarer spelling associated specifically with questioning. The exact historical derivation of たずねる is uncertain.