искать vs поискать

iskat' vs poiskat' — to look for/search vs have a search

What it really means

Искать is imperfective and describes an ongoing search, a habitual activity, or the general goal of finding something. Поискать is perfective with the delimitative prefix по-: it means to search for a while or make an attempt to look. It does not guarantee that the object will be found.

Examples in natural speech

Я ищу свои ключи.
I am looking for my keys.
Она ищет работу в Москве.
She is looking for work in Moscow.
Поищи информацию в интернете.
Try looking for the information online.
Мы немного поискали и ушли.
We searched for a while and left.
Он всегда ищет простое решение.
He always looks for a simple solution.

Common mistakes

Поискать means undertake a bounded search, not “find.” The person or thing sought is normally accusative: искать ключи; do not substitute the genitive unless a genuine partitive/negative construction calls for it.

Memory tip

Искать is the search itself; поискать is one search session with edges.

Frequently asked questions

Why does поискать occur in a command?

The perfective imperative asks the listener to make a bounded attempt: поищи means “have a look/try searching.”

What is the difference from найти?

Найти means successfully find; искать and поискать describe searching and leave success open.

Can искать be used for abstract things?

Yes: искать решение, искать смысл, and искать причину all mean search for a solution, meaning, or cause.

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