Meaning
to grope, fumble
- to grope around or feel one's way blindly with hands
- to move or act hesitatingly without clear direction
In a sentence
Senza una torcia abbiamo dovuto brancolare nel corridoio buio.
Without a flashlight we had to grope our way down the dark hallway.
Gli investigatori brancolano ancora nel buio dopo settimane di indagini.
The investigators are still completely in the dark after weeks of investigation.
Non brancolare nel buio: chiedi consiglio a un esperto.
Don't grope in the dark: ask an expert for advice.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| brancolare | infinitive |
| brancolo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| brancoli | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| brancola | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| brancoliamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| brancolate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| brancolavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| brancolavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| brancolava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| brancolavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| brancolavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| brancolai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| brancolasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| brancolò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| brancolammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| brancolaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| brancolerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| brancolerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| brancolerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| brancoleremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| brancolerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| brancoleranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| brancoli | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| brancoli | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| brancoli | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| brancoliamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| brancoliate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| brancolassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| brancolassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| brancolasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| brancolassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| brancolaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| brancolerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| brancoleresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| brancolerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| brancoleremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| brancolereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| brancola | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| brancoliamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| brancolate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| brancolando | gerund |
| brancolato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Overwhelmingly used in the idiom 'brancolare nel buio' (to be completely in the dark / clueless).
- Takes 'avere' in compound tenses.