chercher at A2 — the past tenses
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One phrase turns searching into fetching.
Going to get someone
Aller chercher does not mean “to go and look for”. It means to go and get, to fetch, to pick up: « je vais chercher les enfants à l’école » — I’m picking the kids up from school. It is one of the most useful everyday phrases in French family life.
In the past, j’ai cherché stresses the effort of searching: « j’ai cherché partout » — I looked everywhere. The imperfect je cherchais sets a scene: « je cherchais mon chemin quand… ».
💡 Focus at this level: Past & « aller chercher »
👨🏫 How to use « chercher » at this level
1. « Aller chercher » = to fetch. Not to search for.
2. « Venir chercher » = to come and collect. Same structure, other direction.
3. « J’ai cherché partout » is the standard complaint. Learn it whole.
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