Draw in Different Languages
Discover 'Draw' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'draw' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, encompassing a wide range of meanings from creating art to taking in a breath. Its cultural importance is evident in various art forms, such as sketching, cartoons, and architecture, as well as in games and gambling. Have you ever wondered how to say 'draw' in different languages? Understanding this simple term in various languages can open up new avenues of communication when exploring diverse cultures.
For instance, in Spanish, 'draw' translates to 'dibujar' for artistic depictions or 'extraer' for pulling out or getting something. In French, 'dessiner' refers to drawing, while 'tirer' is used for pulling. In German, 'zeichnen' is the word for drawing, and 'ziehen' means to pull. In Japanese, 'e' is the term for drawing pictures, and 'hiku' stands for pulling or drawing something towards you.
Discovering the translations of 'draw' in multiple languages is not only a fun exercise but also a stepping stone towards appreciating the richness of global cultures and languages. Keep reading to uncover more fascinating translations!
Draw
Draw in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | teken | ||
| The Afrikaans word "teken" also means "tick" or "sign" in English. | |||
| Amharic | መሳል | ||
| መሳል in Amharic can also mean to resemble or to match. | |||
| Hausa | zana | ||
| In Hausa, "zana" means "to draw", but it can also be used to refer to writing or counting. | |||
| Igbo | see | ||
| The Igbo word "see" can also mean "to paint" or "to carve". | |||
| Malagasy | hantsaka | ||
| In Malagasy, "hantsaka" also means "to trace" or "to mark out".} | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | jambulani | ||
| 'Jambulani' can also refer to a type of tree and its fruit. | |||
| Shona | dhonza | ||
| The word "dhonza" also means "to lead" or "to guide" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | sawirid | ||
| The Somali word | |||
| Sesotho | hula | ||
| In Sesotho, "hula" also means "to gather" or "to collect". | |||
| Swahili | chora | ||
| In Swahili, "chora" also means "to scratch" or "to scrape". | |||
| Xhosa | zoba | ||
| The word "zoba" in Xhosa can also mean "to pull" or "to drag". | |||
| Yoruba | iyaworan | ||
| The Yoruba word 'iyaworan' can also refer to the act of writing or copying. | |||
| Zulu | dweba | ||
| The Zulu word "dweba" can also refer to the act of painting or writing. | |||
| Bambara | ka desɛn | ||
| Ewe | ta nu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushushanya | ||
| Lingala | kobenda | ||
| Luganda | okukuba ekifaananyi | ||
| Sepedi | thala | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twe | ||
Draw in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The word "رسم" also means "custom" in Arabic, highlighting the close relationship between art and tradition. | |||
| Hebrew | לצייר | ||
| The Hebrew word "לצייר" ("draw") also means "to shape" or "to form." | |||
| Pashto | رسمول | ||
| The Pashto word "رسمول" is also used figuratively to mean "to plan" or "to intend". | |||
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The word "رسم" also means "custom" in Arabic, highlighting the close relationship between art and tradition. | |||
Draw in Western European Languages
| Albanian | barazim | ||
| The word 'barazim' derives from an ancient Greek term, 'grapho' (write). | |||
| Basque | marraztu | ||
| 'Marraztu' can also mean 'to delineate' or 'to design' in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | dibuixar | ||
| In the 14th century, "dibuixar" also meant "to write in a scriptorium" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | crtati | ||
| The verb 'crtati' is also used in Croatian to describe scratching, etching or tracing. | |||
| Danish | tegne | ||
| The word "tegne" in Danish also means "make a sign" or "to mark". | |||
| Dutch | trek | ||
| In Dutch, "trek" can also mean "desire" or "pull," derived from the Middle Dutch word "trecken," meaning "to pull" or "to draw." | |||
| English | draw | ||
| The word "draw" derives from the Old English word "dragan," with a wide range of meanings including "pull," "drag," and "sketch." | |||
| French | dessiner | ||
| The word "dessiner" in French comes from the Latin "designare," meaning "to mark out" or "to designate." | |||
| Frisian | tekenje | ||
| Besides its main meaning, "tekenje" can also mean "sign" or "gesture" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | debuxar | ||
| Debuxar in Galician, and debuxar in Spanish, are both derived from the Latin word "depingere" meaning "to depict". | |||
| German | zeichnen | ||
| "Zeichnen" also means "sign" and is related to "Zeichen" meaning "sign". | |||
| Icelandic | draga | ||
| In Old Norse, "draga" meant "to pull" and "to kill." | |||
| Irish | tarraing | ||
| In Irish, "tarraing" not only means "draw" but can also refer to "dragging" or "pulling with force". | |||
| Italian | disegnare | ||
| "Disegnare" in Italian also means "to design" and comes from the Latin "designare," meaning "to mark out," "to point out," or "to designate." | |||
| Luxembourgish | molen | ||
| The word "molen" in Luxembourgish can also mean "to grind" or "to mill", which reflects its historical use in the context of milling grain. | |||
| Maltese | tiġbed | ||
| Tiġbed can also mean "to drag", "to pull", or "to attract". | |||
| Norwegian | tegne | ||
| The word "tegne" in Norwegian can also refer to signing a document or tracing something on paper. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | desenhar | ||
| Desenhar comes from the Latin "designāre", which means "designate" or "mark out". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tarraing | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, `tarraing` also means `drag`, `haul in`, and `trawl` | |||
| Spanish | dibujar | ||
| The word "dibujar" also means "to delineate" or "to describe" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | dra | ||
| Besides "draw", "dra" can also be used to say "drag" or "pull" something. | |||
| Welsh | tynnu | ||
| The word "tynnu" in Welsh has alternate meanings such as "pull" and "stretch" | |||
Draw in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | маляваць | ||
| In Belarusian, the word "маляваць" (draw) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*maljь", which also means "to paint" and "to smear". | |||
| Bosnian | izvući | ||
| Izvući can also mean to take something out, to extract, to obtain, to deduce, or to conclude. | |||
| Bulgarian | рисувам | ||
| The word "рисувам" (draw) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *risovati, meaning "to scratch" or "to engrave." | |||
| Czech | kreslit | ||
| The word 'kreslit' derives from an Old Slavonic word meaning 'to scratch' and is also related to the words 'krev' ('blood') and 'křivda' ('wrong') in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | joonistama | ||
| The word "joonistama" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *joonista-, which also means "to delineate" or "to sketch". | |||
| Finnish | piirtää | ||
| Etymology possibly from the word 'piirto' (a mark, a line), or Proto-Uralic *piret- (to cut). | |||
| Hungarian | húz | ||
| Hungarian "húz" ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *tew- "to swell, grow," as in Latin "tumor" and English "tooth". | |||
| Latvian | izdarīt | ||
| The word “izdarīt“ also means “to do” or “to make.” | |||
| Lithuanian | piešti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "piešti" also means "to write". It is related to the Latvian verb "zīmēt" and the Russian verbs "писать" and "рисoвать." | |||
| Macedonian | извлекување | ||
| Polish | remis | ||
| Remis can also mean "tie-up" and is also used to describe a draw in sports. | |||
| Romanian | a desena | ||
| The word "a desena" in Romanian also means "to draw a picture or diagram". | |||
| Russian | рисовать | ||
| Рисовать (risovat’) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *risati, meaning "to scratch, carve". | |||
| Serbian | цртати | ||
| Although it means "draw", in Serbian, "цртати" can also refer to the act of creating a line on a surface, or making marks with an instrument, such as a pencil. | |||
| Slovak | kresliť | ||
| The word "kresliť" also means "sketch" or "outline" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | žrebanje | ||
| "žrebanje" in Old Church Slavonic meant "lot, fate, allotment, oracle, divination, destiny, casting of lots, a person selected by lot, a sorcerer, a fortuneteller, or a chosen one. | |||
| Ukrainian | нічия | ||
| "Нічия" originally meant "nothing" or "no one". | |||
Draw in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আঁকুন | ||
| "আঁকুন" is a verb originating from Sanskrit "आर्कु" (arku), which means "to bend" or "to curve". | |||
| Gujarati | દોરો | ||
| The Gujarati word "દોરો" is also used to refer to a thread or a thin rope. | |||
| Hindi | खींचना | ||
| In Hindi, “खींचना” can also mean to stretch, drag, or pull something. | |||
| Kannada | ಡ್ರಾ | ||
| The word 'ಡ್ರಾ' can also mean 'a lottery' or 'a draught of liquid'. | |||
| Malayalam | സമനില | ||
| The term "സമനില" also means a state of equal balance or equilibrium. | |||
| Marathi | काढा | ||
| The Marathi word 'काढा' (draw) originates from the Sanskrit word 'कृष्' (to pull or extract) and has alternative meanings including pulling, extracting, or creating a specific shape or pattern. | |||
| Nepali | ड्र | ||
| The word "ड्र" in Nepali can also mean "to sketch" or "to write". | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰਾਅ | ||
| The word "ਡਰਾਅ" can also mean "a tie" or "a picture" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අදින්න | ||
| The term 'අදින්න' in Sinhala, derived from 'අදි' (to take) and 'අන්න' (to bring), implies drawing as a process of taking a line or shape from one point to another. | |||
| Tamil | வரை | ||
| The word "வரை" in Tamil also means "until" or "up to". | |||
| Telugu | డ్రా | ||
| The Telugu word "డ్రా" originates from the English word "draw" and also means "to attract" in English. | |||
| Urdu | ڈرا | ||
| In Urdu, the word "ڈرا" ("draw") is also used to mean "to scare" or "to frighten". | |||
Draw in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 画 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, "画" could also refer to prison cells or paintings. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 畫 | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "畫" can also refer to a picture, painting, or writing. | |||
| Japanese | ドロー | ||
| The Japanese word "ドロー (dorō)" can also refer to a tie in a game or competition. | |||
| Korean | 무승부 | ||
| The word "무승부" is derived from Chinese and means both "no win, no loss" and "no winner, no loser". | |||
| Mongolian | зурах | ||
| Derived from the Middle Mongolian ‘zuruq’ and Proto-Mongolic ‘*zuγu-'’ meaning ‘to make, write’ | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆွဲ | ||
| "ဆွဲ" also means to "pull," "to lead," or "to guide." | |||
Draw in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | seri | ||
| Seri can also mean 'in a draw', 'ties', 'series' (e.g. a football match), 'a set' (as in tennis), 'equal', 'level', or 'a round'. | |||
| Javanese | nggambar | ||
| In addition to its meaning of "draw," "nggambar" can also mean "to carve" or "to sculpt" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | គូរ | ||
| The word "គូរ" in Khmer can also refer to the process of engraving or etching. | |||
| Lao | ແຕ້ມ | ||
| "ແຕ້ມ" can also be used to describe smearing or applying something onto another surface | |||
| Malay | menarik | ||
| Menarik in Malay not only means "to draw", but also "attractive" or "interesting". | |||
| Thai | วาด | ||
| The word "วาด" in Thai is thought to derive from the Pali language, where it means "to sketch" or "to paint." | |||
| Vietnamese | vẽ tranh | ||
| "Vẽ tranh" also means "paint" in English, as it shares the same root meaning of creating artwork. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gumuhit | ||
Draw in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çəkmək | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "çəkmək" also means "to drag", "to pluck", or "to smoke". | |||
| Kazakh | сурет салу | ||
| The word "сурет салу" can also mean "to take a picture" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тартуу | ||
| The term тартуу also refers to a type of lottery or raffle. | |||
| Tajik | кашидан | ||
| The word "кашидан" also means "to paint" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | çyzmak | ||
| Uzbek | chizish | ||
| The Uzbek word "chizish" shares a common Indo-European root with the English word "design". | |||
| Uyghur | سىزىش | ||
Draw in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kahakaha | ||
| 'Kahakaha' can also mean 'to pull' or 'to drag.' | |||
| Maori | tuhi | ||
| The etymology of the Maori word "tuhi" is uncertain, but it may be derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "tufu" meaning "to grow" or "to push forth." | |||
| Samoan | tusi | ||
| The Polynesian verb for 'draw' in Samoan, 'tusi', is often used for 'write', while 'tala', which means 'speak', may also be used in the sense of 'say', as well as 'draw'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gumuhit | ||
| "Gumuhit" (draw) is also used to describe the act of writing or carving into a surface. | |||
Draw in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jamuqaña | ||
| Guarani | moha'anga | ||
Draw in International Languages
| Esperanto | desegni | ||
| "Desegni" is a word borrowed from Italian that also has the meaning of "plan". | |||
| Latin | trahere | ||
| The Latin verb 'trahere' also means 'to drag', 'to lead', or 'to attract'. | |||
Draw in Others Languages
| Greek | σχεδιάζω | ||
| The verb "σχεδιάζω" in Greek can also mean "plan" or "devise", reflecting its root in the word "σχέδιο," which denotes both "drawing" and "plan." | |||
| Hmong | kos | ||
| The word "kos" can also mean "to trace" or "to copy". | |||
| Kurdish | xetkirin | ||
| The Kurdish word “xetkirin” derives from the Old Iranian root *kart- "to cut," also found in the name “Kurd”. | |||
| Turkish | çizmek | ||
| The word "çizmek" can also mean "to scratch" or "to trace". | |||
| Xhosa | zoba | ||
| The word "zoba" in Xhosa can also mean "to pull" or "to drag". | |||
| Yiddish | מאל | ||
| "מאל" פירושו גם "סימן" או "פגם" ביידיש. | |||
| Zulu | dweba | ||
| The Zulu word "dweba" can also refer to the act of painting or writing. | |||
| Assamese | অঁকা | ||
| Aymara | jamuqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | खींचीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރެހުން | ||
| Dogri | खिच्चो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gumuhit | ||
| Guarani | moha'anga | ||
| Ilocano | iladawan | ||
| Krio | drɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وێنەکێشان | ||
| Maithili | खींचू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯠꯄ | ||
| Mizo | ziak | ||
| Oromo | kaasuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡ୍ର | ||
| Quechua | siqiy | ||
| Sanskrit | आकर्षयतु | ||
| Tatar | рәсем | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰኣል | ||
| Tsonga | dirohwa | ||