Meaning
to circle, to ring
- to circle (draw a circle around)
- to surround, to encircle
- to hoop (a barrel)
In a sentence
Cerchia le parole nuove con la penna rossa.
Circle the new words with the red pen.
Hanno cerchiato la botte con anelli di ferro.
They hooped the barrel with iron rings.
Ha cerchiato la risposta corretta con una matita.
She circled the correct answer with a pencil.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cerchiare | infinitive |
| cerchiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| cerchio | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchiano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchia | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchiavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| cerchiavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchiavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchiavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchiava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchiammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| cerchiai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchiasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchiarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchiò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchieremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| cerchierò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| cerchierete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchierai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchieranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchierà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| cerchi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchiassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| cerchiassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchiassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchiassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchiasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchieremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| cerchierei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| cerchiereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchieresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchierebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| cerchierebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| cerchiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| cerchiate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| cerchia | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| cerchiando | gerund |
| cerchiato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- For marking text or answers, cerchiare is more natural than circondare. In school instructions, you often see Cerchia la risposta corretta.
- For physical surrounding, circondare is usually broader and more common; cerchiare can sound more visual, as if forming a ring around something.
- With movement meaning, it takes avere in compound tenses: ha cerchiato il monte. This use is less common than girare intorno a.