Draft in Different Languages
Discover 'Draft' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'draft' carries with it a sense of beginning, of something new and unfinished waiting to be perfected. From its origins in Old English as 'dragan' meaning to draw or pull, 'draft' has evolved to encompass a variety of meanings in different contexts. In the world of writing, a draft is a preliminary version of a piece of work; in sports, a draft is a selection process for recruiting new players; and in fluid dynamics, a draft is the flow of air or water around an object. Beyond these definitions, 'draft' also holds cultural significance in many parts of the world.
For instance, in the ancient game of Go, a draft refers to the selection of stones, each with its own unique history and meaning. In the world of beer, a draft is an unpasteurized, unfiltered beer that is served fresh from the brewery. And in the military, a draft is a conscription of individuals to serve in the armed forces.
Given the word's rich history and diverse meanings, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Whether you're a writer looking to expand your vocabulary, a sports fan interested in the nuances of the game, or a language enthusiast seeking to connect with people from different cultures, understanding the many translations of 'draft' can be a powerful tool.
Here are just a few examples of how 'draft' is translated around the world:
Draft
Draft in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | konsep | ||
| In some contexts, "konsep" can also denote the general notion of "concept" as in philosophy. | |||
| Amharic | ረቂቅ | ||
| The word "ረቂቅ" (draft) can also refer to a type of cloth or fabric. | |||
| Hausa | daftarin aiki | ||
| The word "daftarin aiki" also means "work copy" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | akwukwo | ||
| The word 'akwukwo' in Igbo can also mean 'book' or 'writing'. | |||
| Malagasy | volavolan- | ||
| The Malagasy word "volavolan-" can also be translated as "air current" or "breeze". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusindikiza | ||
| The word "kusindikiza" can also refer to the process of copying or transcribing something. | |||
| Shona | kurongedza | ||
| The word "kurongedza" in Shona can also mean "to protect" or "to shield". | |||
| Somali | qabyo ah | ||
| "Qabyo ah" in Somali is a word derived from Arabic, where it also means "draft". | |||
| Sesotho | moralo | ||
| The word "moralo" can be used to refer to both the act of blowing something and the object being blown. | |||
| Swahili | rasimu | ||
| "Rasimu" derives from the Arabic "rasm" meaning "plan" or "sketch". | |||
| Xhosa | uyilo | ||
| Uyilo is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *yilo, which means "to be drawn" or "to be pulled" | |||
| Yoruba | tunbo | ||
| "Tunbo" also means "a young man". The word derives from "tu" (to bear) and either "bọ" (to carry something) or "unbo" (something that supports or sustains). | |||
| Zulu | okusalungiswa | ||
| The word "okusalungiswa" also means "to revise" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka labɛn | ||
| Ewe | tata gbãtɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umushinga | ||
| Lingala | komeka | ||
| Luganda | ekifananyi | ||
| Sepedi | sethalwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atwerɛkan | ||
Draft in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مشروع | ||
| The word "مشروع" (draft) in Arabic is also used to describe a 'plan' or 'project'. | |||
| Hebrew | טְיוּטָה | ||
| The word "טְיוּטָה" (draft) is derived from the Arabic word "طَوْت" (to fold), referring to the folded sheets of paper used for writing drafts. | |||
| Pashto | مسوده | ||
| The word 'مسوده' also means 'sketch' or 'outline' in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مشروع | ||
| The word "مشروع" (draft) in Arabic is also used to describe a 'plan' or 'project'. | |||
Draft in Western European Languages
| Albanian | drafti | ||
| The word "drafti" in Albanian comes from the German word "Draft". | |||
| Basque | zirriborroa | ||
| "Zirriborroa" originated from "zirriborro," which is the Basque equivalent of the Spanish "borrador." | |||
| Catalan | esborrany | ||
| Esborrany has different secondary meanings depending on the spoken Catalan. In Mallorquin the second meanings refer to the action of sketching or to a sketch. | |||
| Croatian | nacrt | ||
| Etymology: Nacrt may come from "napisati" - "to write on", hence "plan" or "scheme". | |||
| Danish | udkast | ||
| The Danish word "udkast" comes from "at kaste ud" (literally "to throw out") but also means "design" in architecture. | |||
| Dutch | droogte | ||
| Droogte can also mean drought, dryness, shallowness. | |||
| English | draft | ||
| The verb 'draft' shares roots with the noun 'draught', both deriving from the Old English word 'dragan', meaning 'to pull'. | |||
| French | brouillon | ||
| The word "brouillon" comes from the Old French word "brouiller," meaning "to mix" or "to stir up." | |||
| Frisian | konsept | ||
| The word "konsept" in Frisian also means "summary". | |||
| Galician | borrador | ||
| Also used to refer to an item that serves to wrap or cover something else, due to its similarity to cloth scraps. | |||
| German | entwurf | ||
| The word 'Entwurf' in German can also refer to a sketch or a plan, and it derives from the Middle High German word 'enwürfen', meaning 'to throw out' or 'to cast'. | |||
| Icelandic | drög | ||
| The word "drög" can also refer to a group of people or animals, or to a particular type of fabric. | |||
| Irish | dréacht | ||
| The Irish word "dréacht" can also refer to a design, plan, or scheme. | |||
| Italian | bozza | ||
| In Italian, "bozza" can also refer to a rough sketch, a proof, or a bubble. | |||
| Luxembourgish | entworf | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Entworf" also has the alternate meaning of "design" or "plan". | |||
| Maltese | abbozz | ||
| The word "abbozz" can refer to a rough sketch, a first draft of a document, or an early stage of a plan. | |||
| Norwegian | utkast | ||
| The word «utkast» originally meant a «projection» or «a model», and is cognate with the English word «outline». | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | esboço, projeto | ||
| In Portuguese, "esboço, projeto" can also refer to a sketch, plan, or outline. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dreach | ||
| The etymology of "dreach" derives from the Gaelic "dreachd" meaning "storm" or "heavy rain". | |||
| Spanish | sequía | ||
| The word "sequía" derives from the Latin "siccus" meaning "dry" and also refers to a lack of water caused by drought. | |||
| Swedish | förslag | ||
| "Förslag" is a Swedish word that literally means "proposal" and is cognate with the English "forslag" | |||
| Welsh | drafft | ||
| The Welsh word "drafft" may originate from the Old English word "draf" meaning "refuse"} | |||
Draft in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | скразняк | ||
| Bosnian | nacrt | ||
| The word "nacrt" can also be used to refer to a sketch, diagram or blueprint. | |||
| Bulgarian | проект | ||
| The word "проект" also means "project" or "plan" in some contexts. | |||
| Czech | návrh | ||
| The Czech word "návrh" can also refer to a proposal or plan. | |||
| Estonian | mustand | ||
| In the Estonian language, the word "mustand" (draft) also has the alternate meaning of "black horse." | |||
| Finnish | luonnos | ||
| The word "luonnos" also refers to a preliminary sketch or design. | |||
| Hungarian | huzat | ||
| The word 'huzat' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'sǫti', meaning 'to blow'. | |||
| Latvian | melnraksts | ||
| The word "melnraksts" can also refer to a rough sketch or blueprint. | |||
| Lithuanian | juodraštis | ||
| "Juodraštis" is a word of common Slavonic origin - "črĭnъ", meaning "black". In Old Lithuanian, "juodas" meant "dark", "unclean". | |||
| Macedonian | нацрт | ||
| The word "нацрт" can also mean "sketch" or "design" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | wersja robocza | ||
| The word "wersja robocza" in Polish literally means "a working version" or "a version in progress". | |||
| Romanian | proiect | ||
| The Romanian word "proiect" can also mean "project" in English. | |||
| Russian | проект | ||
| “Проект” (draft) means “a plan or scheme,” and is related to the verb “to throw” (бросать) | |||
| Serbian | промаја | ||
| "Промаја" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*рromajь" meaning "the act of blowing", which is related to the verb "*projati" meaning "to blow". | |||
| Slovak | návrh | ||
| The Slovak word "návrh" shares its etymology with the Czech word "návrh", meaning "plan", and is distantly related to the German word "Entwurf", meaning "rough sketch". | |||
| Slovenian | osnutek | ||
| Osnutek can also refer to a 'plot' or 'conspiracy.' | |||
| Ukrainian | чернетка | ||
| The word "чернетка" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic "чернь", meaning "black" or "dirt", and originally referred to a rough sketch or unfinished writing. | |||
Draft in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | খসড়া | ||
| খসড়া (khôśra) literally translates to 'fallen' and is also used figuratively to mean a 'rough copy or sketch'. | |||
| Gujarati | ડ્રાફ્ટ | ||
| The word "draft" in Gujarati is a loanword from the English language and retains its original meaning of "a preliminary version of a document or plan". | |||
| Hindi | प्रारूप | ||
| The word 'प्रारूप' also means 'outline' or 'sketch' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಡ್ರಾಫ್ಟ್ | ||
| The word 'draft' can also refer to a preliminary version of a document or a plan. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡ്രാഫ്റ്റ് | ||
| The word "ഡ്രാഫ്റ്റ്" (draft) in Malayalam can also refer to a type of lottery or a bill of exchange. | |||
| Marathi | मसुदा | ||
| The word "मसुदा" is often used to refer to a preliminary or rough sketch of a document, plan, or idea. | |||
| Nepali | ड्राफ्ट | ||
| In English, the word 'draft' can also refer to a preliminary version of a document, a beverage, or a team of people selected for a specific purpose. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰਾਫਟ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਡਰਾਫਟ" (draft) is derived from the English word "draft" and can also refer to a rough sketch or plan. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කෙටුම්පත | ||
| The word "කෙටුම්පත" (draft) in Sinhala is also used to refer to a preliminary version of a document or a plan. | |||
| Tamil | வரைவு | ||
| The Tamil word 'வரைவு' ('draft') also carries the meaning of 'sketch' or 'outline'. | |||
| Telugu | చిత్తుప్రతి | ||
| చిత్తుప్రతి is used in the sense of a 'rough copy' of a written work, like a first draft awaiting further editing. | |||
| Urdu | ڈرافٹ | ||
| The term "ڈرافٹ" in Urdu can carry multiple meanings, including a sketch or outline, a financial instrument, or a current of air. | |||
Draft in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 草案 | ||
| In ancient China, "草案" was a plan made on grass cloth because paper wasn't invented. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 草案 | ||
| 草案 can also mean a rough sketch or outline in Chinese (Traditional). | |||
| Japanese | ドラフト | ||
| In Japanese, the word "ドラフト" can also mean "lottery" or "selection process". | |||
| Korean | 초안 | ||
| The word 초안 can also mean a preliminary sketch or outline. | |||
| Mongolian | ноорог | ||
| The word "ноорог" can also refer to a kind of lasso used to catch horses. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မူကြမ်း | ||
Draft in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | minuman | ||
| "Minuman" in Indonesian is also a noun meaning "drink" akin to "minuman keras" (alcoholic drink). | |||
| Javanese | konsep | ||
| In Javanese, "konsep" also means "a plan or scheme" or "a sketch or outline". | |||
| Khmer | ពង្រាង | ||
| The Khmer word "ពង្រាង" can also refer to a sketch or outline of a written work. | |||
| Lao | ຮ່າງ | ||
| The etymology of Lao word ຮ່າງ "draft" refers to the idea of a preliminary version of a text, or an outline. | |||
| Malay | draf | ||
| In Malay, "draf" can also mean a type of traditional boat. | |||
| Thai | ร่าง | ||
| The word "ร่าง" can also mean "body" or "form". | |||
| Vietnamese | bản nháp | ||
| "Bản nháp" xuất phát từ chữ "Nháp" trong tiếng Nôm, nghĩa là "phác thảo", chỉ bản viết đầu tiên chưa hoàn chỉnh của một bài văn, một bức tranh, một bài thơ... | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | burador | ||
Draft in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qaralama | ||
| "Qaralama" also means "scribble" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жоба | ||
| "Жоба" can also mean "idea", and the suffix "ғал" can denote an attempt at something, so "жобағал" can mean "a half-baked idea". | |||
| Kyrgyz | долбоор | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "Долбоор" originally derived from Mongolian and meant "outline" or "sketch". | |||
| Tajik | лоиҳа | ||
| The word ‘лоиҳа’ is sometimes used to refer to a draft law for a project. | |||
| Turkmen | garalama | ||
| Uzbek | qoralama | ||
| The word "qoralama" can also mean "plan" or "sketch" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | لايىھە | ||
Draft in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻōkuhi | ||
| ʻŌkuhi can also mean "to be deep in conversation" or "to be secretive". | |||
| Maori | hukihuki | ||
| "Huki" means "to pull," while "huki huki" means "to pull repeatedly" or "to draft." | |||
| Samoan | ata faataitai | ||
| The word "ata faataitai" in Samoan is composed of "ata" (day) and "faataitai" (to do something briefly), indicating a short period of time. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | draft | ||
| Tagalog "draft" also means "check" when it's given to someone as payment. | |||
Draft in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wurarura | ||
| Guarani | yvytupa'ũ | ||
Draft in International Languages
| Esperanto | malneto | ||
| The Esperantido word "malneto" means "draft" but also means "bad air" in Romanian. | |||
| Latin | capturam | ||
| The Latin term "capturam" also denotes a "catch" in the context of fishing or hunting. | |||
Draft in Others Languages
| Greek | προσχέδιο | ||
| Προσχέδιο is also used to describe a rough sketch or outline, especially in the context of art or design. | |||
| Hmong | cua ntsawj ntshab | ||
| "Cua ntsawj ntshab" is a compound of two Hmong words: cua, "wind," and ntsawj ntshab, "a breeze," which together refer to the force of air moving across a surface. | |||
| Kurdish | pêşnûma | ||
| In Kurdish, "pêşnûma" also connotes a preview, a preliminary version of a larger work. | |||
| Turkish | taslak | ||
| "Taslak" means not only "draft" but also "plan" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | uyilo | ||
| Uyilo is derived from the Proto-Bantu word *yilo, which means "to be drawn" or "to be pulled" | |||
| Yiddish | פּלאַן | ||
| פּלאַן is derived from French "plan" with the same meaning. | |||
| Zulu | okusalungiswa | ||
| The word "okusalungiswa" also means "to revise" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | খচৰা | ||
| Aymara | wurarura | ||
| Bhojpuri | मसउदा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދެލިކޮޕީ | ||
| Dogri | मसौदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | burador | ||
| Guarani | yvytupa'ũ | ||
| Ilocano | angin | ||
| Krio | briz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەشنووس | ||
| Maithili | ड्राफ्ट | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯥꯟꯕꯒꯤ ꯏꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | duangchhin | ||
| Oromo | axeereraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡ୍ରାଫ୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | pichanalla | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रारूप | ||
| Tatar | проект | ||
| Tigrinya | ንድፊ | ||
| Tsonga | mpfapfarhuto | ||