寻觅
xún mì · HSK 7
to look for
🔍 寻觅 = 寻 (seek) + 觅 (seek) — two seek-words doubled up for to look for
Both 寻 (xún) and 觅 (mì) independently mean to search; pairing them makes a stronger to look for. 觅 sounds like mee, the sound of straining to spot something.
寻 — hand 彐 (top) + inch 寸 (bottom), simplified from 尋
Originally a compound showing two hands measuring a length, with 工 and 口 between them, indicating the act of measuring with outstretched arms. The traditional form 尋 referred to a unit of length (about eight chi). The meaning extended from 'measure' to 'search for' or 'seek out'.