a dessiné
To say drew in French, use a dessiné.
a dessiné means drew or has drawn, as in making a picture. It is the past tense French uses in speech.
What does it mean word for word?
a is a form of the verb to have, and dessiné is the past participle of the verb to draw.
How does it change in a sentence?
The helper verb changes with the subject. a is used for he, she or a named person.
What mistakes should you avoid?
This only means drew as in drawing a picture. It does not mean drew as in pulling something.
Did you know?
- If you use the phrase a dessiné in a very specific Quebecois context, the a might actually be an eye-dialect spelling of elle, meaning 'she'.
- If you want to say someone 'drew' a conclusion, you would not use a dessiné, but rather a tiré, treating the conclusion like something pulled from a source.
- While a dessiné is used for an artist making a picture, you must use a completely different verb, tirer, if you are 'drawing' a curtain or a sword.
Examples in context
- Qui l'a dessiné ?Who drew it?Here a dessiné appears in a question asking who drew it.Tatoeba #6465616 by Aiji, translation #442064 by CK
- Tom a dessiné un chien.Tom drew a picture of a dog.Here a dessiné says Tom drew a dog.Tatoeba #6067770 by sicerabibax, translation #3171610 by CK
- Il a dessiné une pomme.He drew an apple.Here a dessiné says he drew an apple.Tatoeba #7022256 by Rockaround, translation #2525121 by martinnicholson
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are looking at a sketch in a notebook.
- LucasC'est magnifique ! Qui a dessiné ça ?It's magnificent! Who drew this?
- EmmaC'est moi, j'a dessiné ce paysage hier.It's me, I drew this landscape yesterday.
- LucasTu as vraiment beaucoup de talent, Emma.You really have a lot of talent, Emma.
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, Lucas !Thank you very much, Lucas!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
