Breakdown of Cherchons ailleurs, il n'est pas ici.
être
to be
ici
here
chercher
to look for
ailleurs
elsewhere
Questions & Answers about Cherchons ailleurs, il n'est pas ici.
The English translation says 'Let us look', so why does the French use cherchons instead of regardons?
Regarder generally means 'to look at' or 'to watch' (directing your eyes toward something). Chercher means 'to look for' or 'to search'. Because the context is about trying to find a missing person, chercher is the correct verb, even though English casually shortens 'let's look for him' to just 'let's look'.
Would it be correct to say cherchons pour since we are looking 'for' him?
I've often seen the phrase d'ailleurs. Is it interchangeable with the ailleurs used here?
They are related, but they have very different meanings. Ailleurs (used in this sentence) literally means 'elsewhere' or 'somewhere else' in a physical or abstract sense. D'ailleurs, on the other hand, is a conversational linking word that translates to 'besides', 'moreover', or 'incidentally'.
Why are these two phrases separated by just a comma instead of a linking word like car (because)?
Joining two related independent clauses with just a punctuation mark is a common stylistic choice in spoken French. You could absolutely say Cherchons ailleurs, car il n'est pas ici (Let's look elsewhere, because he is not here), but dropping the conjunction makes the suggestion feel punchier and more urgent.
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