This is the 8979th most frequent French word.
cherchaient
"Cherchaient" means "were looking for" or "were searching" (imperfect tense of "chercher").
"Cherchaient" is the imperfect tense of the verb "chercher" and conveys an action in the past with a sense of duration or repetition.
Ils cherchaient leur chien dans le parc.
They were looking for their dog in the park.
Here, "cherchaient" is used interrogatively to describe a repeated action in the past.
Vous cherchaient-ils souvent pour des conseils?
Did they often look for you for advice?
"Cherchaient" emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of the action in the past.