Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, you might use different forms to express the same idea. Use Dibuja a una persona or Haz un dibujo de una persona to informally tell someone to draw a person. If you need to be formal, use Dibuje una persona or Por favor, realice un dibujo de una persona to say "please make a drawing of a person". Additionally, dibujó a una persona means "he/she drew a person", while dibujando a una persona refers to the continuous action of "drawing a person".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the verb dibujar might be replaced with dibujear in informal contexts or pintar may be used instead of dibujar.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase dibujar a una persona, the a is known as the 'personal a'. This is a grammatical marker required in Spanish when the direct object is a specific person.
How do you pronounce it?
/dibuxaɾ a una peɾsona/
Did you know?
- The 'personal a' in dibujar a una persona is so distinct that using it with an object, like dibujar a un árbol, can imply that the tree has human feelings or a soul.
- The verb dibujar shares a root with the Old French word deboissier, which referred to the process of clearing land or removing trees.
- The word persona comes from the Latin word for a theatrical mask. In ancient plays, actors wore masks to project their voice and define their character.
Examples in context
- En su próximo trabajo, por favor, realice un dibujo de una persona en movimiento.In your next assignment, please make a drawing of a person in motion.
- ¡Oye, dibuja a una persona, quiero ver tus habilidades artísticas!Hey, draw a person, I want to see your artistic skills!
- Haz un dibujo de una persona y compártelo conmigo después.Make a drawing of a person and share it with me afterward.
- Él no sabe dibujar a una persona.He does not know how to draw a person.
- Te enseñaré a dibujar a una persona rápidamente.I will teach you how to draw a person quickly.
- ¿Puedes dibujar a una persona en mi cuaderno?Can you draw a person in my notebook?
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are in an art class.
- María¿Qué vamos a hacer hoy, Alejandro?What are we going to do today, Alejandro?
- AlejandroEl profesor nos pidió dibujar a una persona.The teacher asked us to draw a person.
- MaríaNo sé cómo hacer eso todavía.I don't know how to do that yet.
- AlejandroYo te ayudo con el boceto, María.I will help you with the sketch, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, dibujar, persona, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
