dibujar
/dibuˈxaɾ/
To draw (as in producing a picture) in Spanish is dibujar.
The verb dibujar is used when you are creating a picture or an artistic rendition. It is not used for the English sense of 'drawing' an object out of something, such as drawing a sword or drawing water. Instead, you would use verbs like desenvainar or sacar for those actions. If you are looking for a noun related to this, the word for a drawing is dibujo.
Meaning: to produce a picture (verb)
Which one should you use?
While dibujar is the standard term for artistic drawing, other words exist for specific contexts. For example, in poker, the word proyecto refers to a situation where a player has four out of the five cards needed for a straight or a flush and tirón refers to something that attracts, such as a crowd.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb is dibujo. If you want to say 'I drew' in the first-person singular preterite tense, use dibujé.
How do you pronounce it?
/dibuˈxaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word dibujar actually has French roots, coming from the Old French verb deboissier which meant 'to clear the wood'.
- To describe someone with very sharp or well-defined physical features, a Spanish speaker might colloquially say they are bien dibujado.
- In Spanish, the word dibujo does not just describe art but also the natural patterns and 'grain' found in materials like marble and wood.
Examples in context
- Sé que él sabe dibujar.I know that he can draw.This sentence demonstrates the use of dibujar to express ability.Tatoeba #1369852 by Shishir, translation #401960 by FeuDRenais
- A él le encanta dibujar.He loves to draw.This sentence shows how to express a preference using dibujar.Tatoeba #2139105 by hayastan, translation #12902220 by araneo
- Quiero aprender a dibujar.I want to learn how to draw.This sentence illustrates the use of dibujar with the verb for learning.Tatoeba #9062106 by rafaeldejesus8199, translation #8056920 by CK
- Dibujé un retrato hermoso.I drew a beautiful portrait.
- Es importante saber dibujar para ser arquitecto.It's important to know how to draw to become an architect.
- Trazó un plano detallado del edificio.He drew a detailed plan of the building.
- El ingeniero trazó las líneas del circuito eléctrico.The engineer traced the lines of the electrical circuit.
- Realizó un dibujo a lápiz de paisaje.He made a pencil drawing of a landscape.
- La artista realiza dibujos realistas y abstractos.The artist makes realistic and abstract drawings.
- Siempre garabateo en mis cuadernos durante las clases.I always doodle in my notebooks during classes.
- Mi hermano pequeño garabateó un dibujo en la pared.My little brother doodled a drawing on the wall.
- Mi hija pintó un sol amarillo y la luna azul.My daughter drew a yellow sun and a blue moon.
- Siempre hago dibujitos en las esquinas de mi cuaderno.I always doodle in the corners of my notebook.
- El niño hizo un dibujito de un gato.The kid made a little drawing of a cat.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at a cafe with sketchbooks.
- DanielElena, ¿quieres dibujar conmigo?Elena, do you want to draw with me?
- ElenaSí, me encanta dibujar en cafeterías.Yes, I love to draw in cafes.
- DanielYo voy a dibujar este edificio.I am going to draw this building.
- Elena¡Qué buena idea, Daniel!What a great idea, Daniel!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “draw” translations and entries dibujar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dibujar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
