---
title: seek — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «seek» in the school dictionary: To seek means to look for something or someone. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# seek

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** We, you, knights, Ready, I, Many people · **What happens:** seek, mean, look, try, get, do · **To what, where:** something, it, garden, you, help, police officer · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«seek» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [seek in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/seek.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To seek means to look for something or someone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:m1:1
# text = To seek means to look for something or someone.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	look	look	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **look** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | for something | vn rummage-35.5 «NP V PP.location PP.theme»: agent=Agent for something=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To seek means to try to get something, like help, advice or safety.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:m2:1
# text = To seek means to try to get something, like help, advice or safety.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	try	try	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	advice	advice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **try** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **get** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  | like help and advice or safety | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer something=Stimulus |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To seek to do something means to try to do it (formal).

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:m3:1
# text = To seek to do something means to try to do it (formal).
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	csubj	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	try	try	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	ccomp	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	xcomp	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	formal	formal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Eventuality |
| 3 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **try** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 5 | **do** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | it |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We played hide and seek in the garden.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x1:1
# text = We played hide and seek in the garden.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	played	play	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	hide	hide	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | past | We |  |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **hide** | infinitive | We *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **seek** | infinitive | We *not said here* |  |  | the garden |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V PP.theme PP.location»: agent=Agent in garden=Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
If you are lost, seek help from a police officer.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x2:1
# text = If you are lost, seek help from a police officer.
1	If	if	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	seek	seek	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	police	police	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	officer	officer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** *a condition, not said to happen* | present · passive |  | you |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |
| 2 | **seek** | imperative | you *not said here* | help |  | a police officer |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent help=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The knights set out to seek the treasure.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x3:1
# text = The knights set out to seek the treasure.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	knights	knight	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	set	set	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	treasure	treasure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **set out** | past | the knights |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **seek** | to-infinitive | the knights *not said here* | the treasure |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent treasure=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Seek shelter during a thunderstorm.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x4:1
# text = Seek shelter during a thunderstorm.
1	Seek	seek	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	shelter	shelter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
3	during	during	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	thunderstorm	thunderstorm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | imperative | you *not said here* | shelter |  |  | during a thunderstorm |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shelter=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ready or not, here I come — I'm coming to seek you!

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x5:1
# text = Ready or not, here I come — I'm coming to seek you!
1	Ready	ready	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
2	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	1	conj	_	_
6	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	come	come	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
9	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	coming	come	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	seek	seek	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	advcl	_	_
14	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | present | Ready |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **come** | present · progressive | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **seek** | to-infinitive | I *not said here* | you |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent you=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Many people seek advice from the library.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x6:1
# text = Many people seek advice from the library.
1	Many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	seek	seek	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	advice	advice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	library	library	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | present | Many people | advice |  | the library |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent advice=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She sought a quiet place to read.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x7:1
# text = She sought a quiet place to read.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sought	seek	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	quiet	quiet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	read	read	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** | past | She | a quiet place |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent place=Theme |
| 2 | **read** | to-infinitive | She *not said here* | a quiet place *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
“I am seeking the three bulrushes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:seek:x8:1
# text = “I am seeking the three bulrushes.
1	“	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	am	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	seeking	seek	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	bulrushes	bulrush	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seek** *in a quote* | present · progressive | I | the three bulrushes |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bulrush=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
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