Meaning
quest, search
- search (mainly in 'in cerca di')
- quest
- hunt (for truffles, game)
In a sentence
I cavalieri partirono per la cerca del Santo Graal.
The knights set out on the quest for the Holy Grail.
Siamo andati nel bosco in cerca di funghi.
We went into the woods in search of mushrooms.
L'esperto continuò la cerca dei tartufi fino al tramonto.
The expert continued the search for truffles until sunset.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cerca | feminine · singular |
| cerche | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- As a noun, cerca is uncommon alone; Italian usually prefers ricerca for research/search or perquisizione for a police search.
- Do not confuse noun cerca with the verb form cerca = he/she searches or the imperative cerca! = look for!
- You mainly meet it in fixed expressions like alla cerca di, which is literary or old-fashioned; modern Italian usually says in cerca di.