Drawing in Different Languages
Discover 'Drawing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Drawing is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures. It is the art of creating images by making marks on a surface, often paper or a digital medium. From ancient cave paintings to modern graphic design, drawing has played a significant role in human expression and communication. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it has been used to tell stories, record history, and express emotions across the globe.
Moreover, understanding the translation of drawing in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and value this art form. For instance, the French translation of drawing is 'dessin,' which also means 'design,' reflecting the country's appreciation for both fine art and practical application. Meanwhile, in Japan, drawing is translated as 'e' or 'zu,' which are also the first characters in the words for 'picture' and 'drawing picture' respectively, highlighting the country's rich tradition of visual arts.
In this article, we will explore the translations of drawing in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this timeless art form.
Drawing
Drawing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | teken | ||
| "Teken" can also mean "tick" (an insect that sucks blood). | |||
| Amharic | ስዕል | ||
| The Amharic word "ስዕል" can also refer to a photograph, an image, or a figure. | |||
| Hausa | zane | ||
| Zane shares a root with the word zana meaning "to design" or "to create". | |||
| Igbo | na-eru | ||
| The Igbo word "na-eru" can also mean "to write" or "to paint". | |||
| Malagasy | sary | ||
| Sary also means "to write" and is related to the word "soratra" (script). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kujambula | ||
| "Kujambula" in Nyanja is derived from the verb "kujambula," meaning "to write," suggesting the close connection between writing and drawing in the Nyanja cultural context. | |||
| Shona | kudhirowa | ||
| In Shona, 'kudhirowa' also means 'to carve' or 'to write'. | |||
| Somali | sawir | ||
| The Somali word "sawir" can also refer to a photograph or a picture, highlighting the close connection between drawing and visual representation in the Somali language and culture. | |||
| Sesotho | ho taka | ||
| The Sesotho word "ho taka" can also refer to writing or sketching. | |||
| Swahili | kuchora | ||
| The Swahili word "kuchora" can also mean "to scratch" or "to carve". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzoba | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukuzoba' also means 'to mark' or 'to write on a surface'. | |||
| Yoruba | iyaworan | ||
| In Yoruba, 'iyaworan' (drawing) also refers to the act of 'tracing' or 'copying' something. | |||
| Zulu | umdwebo | ||
| "Umdwebo" also means "a plan; a design." | |||
| Bambara | desɛn | ||
| Ewe | nutata | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gushushanya | ||
| Lingala | elilingi | ||
| Luganda | okukkuba ekifaananyi | ||
| Sepedi | sethalwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nyɛeɛ | ||
Drawing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The word "رسم" in Arabic also has the meaning of "custom," "tradition," and "ceremony." | |||
| Hebrew | צִיוּר | ||
| The Hebrew word צִיוּר (drawing) is also a poetic designation of the constellation Ursa Major | |||
| Pashto | انځورګري | ||
| The Persian etymology of انځورګري means "to make a figure," highlighting the art of drawing as creating representations of objects. | |||
| Arabic | رسم | ||
| The word "رسم" in Arabic also has the meaning of "custom," "tradition," and "ceremony." | |||
Drawing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vizatim | ||
| The word "vizatim" is derived from the Italian word "disegno", meaning "drawing", and can also refer to a sketch or a diagram. | |||
| Basque | marrazketa | ||
| The word 'marrazketa' in Basque derives from the verb 'marraztu' meaning 'to draw' or 'to sketch,' and is related to the noun 'marka' meaning 'sign' or 'mark'. | |||
| Catalan | dibuix | ||
| "Dibuix" is also used in Catalan to name a dance performance, especially when it's about traditional dances. | |||
| Croatian | crtanje | ||
| The Croatian word "crtanje" can also mean "plot", "plan", or "design"} | |||
| Danish | tegning | ||
| "Tegning" is also a verb in Danish, meaning "to subscribe" or "to make a reservation". | |||
| Dutch | tekening | ||
| Tekening (Dutch for "drawing") also means "consumption" in archaic Dutch due to its historical connection to "toasting". | |||
| English | drawing | ||
| The noun 'drawing' derives from the Old English 'dragan', meaning 'to drag' or 'to pull', referring to the action of pulling a pen or pencil across a surface. | |||
| French | dessin | ||
| "Dessin" derives from the Latin "designare" (to mark out), and besides its meaning of "drawing," it can also refer to a "purpose, design, or plan." | |||
| Frisian | tekening | ||
| The Frisian word "tekening" can also be used to refer to a child that was born outside of marriage. | |||
| Galician | debuxo | ||
| The term "debuxo" derives from Latin de- "away" and -ducere "to lead," meaning "to lead out of something," and came to mean "sketch, design" in Galician and Spanish. | |||
| German | zeichnung | ||
| In economics, the German word 'Zeichnung' can also mean 'subscription' or 'underwriting' of stocks or bonds. | |||
| Icelandic | teikningu | ||
| Teikningu is also the name of an independent Icelandic dance company. | |||
| Irish | líníocht | ||
| Italian | disegno | ||
| In Renaissance Italian, 'disegno' also signified 'design' and thus artistic intention and creative genius. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zeechnen | ||
| The word "Zeechnen" is derived from the Middle High German word "zeichen," meaning "to mark" or "to write." | |||
| Maltese | tpinġija | ||
| The Maltese word "tpinġija" comes from the Italian "disegno", which also means "design" or "sketch". | |||
| Norwegian | tegning | ||
| Norwegian "tegning" originally also meant "signature" like Swedish tecken "sign, mark, token". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | desenhando | ||
| Desenhando originated from "designar" in Latin, meaning "to mark out," and also has meanings such as "design" or "plan". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tarraing | ||
| The word "tarraing" also has the alternate meaning of "attraction" or "pull" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | dibujo | ||
| The Spanish word "dibujo" derives from the Latin word "debuxo," which means "to mark out" or "to delineate." | |||
| Swedish | teckning | ||
| The word "teckning" also means "cartoon" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | arlunio | ||
| The word 'arlunio' also means 'to draft' and 'to delineate' | |||
Drawing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | малюнак | ||
| The verb "маляваць" means "to draw", but "малюнак" derives from "малюсенькі", meaning "tiny", which was used for small items and details in paintings. | |||
| Bosnian | crtanje | ||
| The noun "crtanje" comes from the verb "crtati", which means "to draw". | |||
| Bulgarian | рисуване | ||
| A variant of "рисуване" is used in Bulgarian to refer to "painting" while "drawing" is expressed by the word "чертане". | |||
| Czech | výkres | ||
| "Výkres" comes from Latin "figura" (image) through German "Figur" (image). | |||
| Estonian | joonistamine | ||
| Joonistamine is related to the words „joon“, meaning „line“, and „joon“, meaning „feat“ or „accomplishment“. | |||
| Finnish | piirustus | ||
| "Piirustus" is also the Finnish noun for a sketch, or outline. | |||
| Hungarian | rajz | ||
| In addition to 'drawing', 'rajz' also has a historical meaning of 'plan, blueprint' and is related to the verb 'rajzol' ('to draw'). | |||
| Latvian | zīmējums | ||
| Derived from the verb 'zīmēt' 'to draw', which is cognate with Lithuanian 'žymėti' 'to mark'. | |||
| Lithuanian | piešimas | ||
| "Piešimas" in Lithuanian also means "writing" or "sketching". | |||
| Macedonian | цртање | ||
| The Macedonian word "цртање" can also refer to embroidery or the act of weaving | |||
| Polish | rysunek | ||
| In Polish, the word "rysunek" (''drawing'' in English) also means a "face-lift" or "beauty treatment." | |||
| Romanian | desen | ||
| The Romanian word "desen" comes from the Hungarian word "dessin" or the French word "dessin". In Romanian, "desen" can also refer to a design, a pattern, or a sketch. | |||
| Russian | рисование | ||
| The word "Рисование" comes from the Old Russian word "рисати", which means "to draw, to write, to paint". | |||
| Serbian | цртање | ||
| The Serbian word for "drawing" comes from the verb "цртати" (crtati), which means "to scratch or carve". | |||
| Slovak | kresba | ||
| The word "kresba" also means "a line dividing a surface" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | risanje | ||
| "Risanje" can also be used in the context of fortune telling, and is sometimes translated to "cartomancy" or "card reading." | |||
| Ukrainian | малювання | ||
| The word "малювання" in Ukrainian also refers to the act of painting, not just drawing. | |||
Drawing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অঙ্কন | ||
| The word "অঙ্কন" can also refer to "arithmetic" or "mathematics" in Bengali, deriving from the Sanskrit root "ank" meaning "to mark or count". | |||
| Gujarati | ચિત્ર | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચિત્ર" also refers to a literary composition or a picture in a book. | |||
| Hindi | चित्रकारी | ||
| The word 'चित्रकारी' comes from the Sanskrit word 'चित्र', meaning 'painted' or 'adorned'. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಿತ್ರ | ||
| In Kannada, both the words "ಚಿತ್ರ" and "ಚಿತ್ರಣ" are used interchangeably to denote "drawing", "painting", or "image". | |||
| Malayalam | ഡ്രോയിംഗ് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'ഡ്രോയിംഗ്' means 'drawing' but is also used to refer to a 'raffle'. | |||
| Marathi | रेखांकन | ||
| The word "रेखांकन" can also refer to the act of outlining or sketching something. | |||
| Nepali | रेखाचित्र | ||
| The word 'रेखाचित्र' has its roots in Sanskrit and carries different shades of meaning such as 'outline', 'sketch' or 'design'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰਾਇੰਗ | ||
| The word "ਡਰਾਇੰਗ" can also refer to the act of dragging or pulling something. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇඳීම | ||
| "ඇඳීම" also refers to writing poetry, a play, or similar artistic work or to sketching out or describing a concept. | |||
| Tamil | வரைதல் | ||
| "வரைதல்" can also mean "to write" or "to describe" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | డ్రాయింగ్ | ||
| The Telugu word డ్రాయింగ్ (drawing) comes from the English word 'drawing' and originally referred to a type of textile design. | |||
| Urdu | ڈرائنگ | ||
| ڈرائنگ is derived from the Persian word 'diran', meaning 'to draw' or 'to paint.' | |||
Drawing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 画画 | ||
| 画 originally meant "to capture the spirit of something" and can also mean "an idea" or "a scene". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 畫畫 | ||
| The word "畫" (traditional Chinese for "drawing") also refers to a stroke in Chinese calligraphy. | |||
| Japanese | 図 | ||
| "図" can denote a chart, map, scheme, plan, or design, with "graphic art" being only one of its many definitions. | |||
| Korean | 그림 | ||
| The word "그림" in Korean also has connotations of "picture", "painting", or "sketch". | |||
| Mongolian | зураг | ||
| The word "зураг" also means "image" or "picture" in Mongolian; it is derived from the Mongolian verb "зурах" meaning "to draw". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပုံဆွဲ | ||
| The Burmese (Myanmar) word ပုံဆွဲ (pon hswei) originally meant "a mold or design for casting metal" as well as "drawing" in English. | |||
Drawing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gambar | ||
| "Gambar" has two roots: "gam" from Sanskrit meaning "to take" and "bar" from Austronesian meaning "to make". | |||
| Javanese | nggambar | ||
| The word "nggambar" in Javanese can also refer to the act of painting, sculpturing, or any other form of visual art. | |||
| Khmer | គំនូរ | ||
| The Khmer word គំនូរ ('drawing') could also mean 'cartoon' or 'sketch' in English. | |||
| Lao | ຮູບແຕ້ມ | ||
| "ຮູບແຕ້ມ" may also be used figuratively; "to make a picture," "to portray," or "to draw a comparison." | |||
| Malay | melukis | ||
| The word "melukis" in Malay also means "to describe" or "to depict". | |||
| Thai | การวาดภาพ | ||
| The Thai word "การวาดภาพ" (drawing) derives from the Sanskrit word "chitra" meaning "picture" or "painting". | |||
| Vietnamese | đang vẽ | ||
| "Đang vẽ" literally translates to "in the process of creating a picture" or "in the process of painting" in Vietnamese, but it can also mean to compose a plan or to imagine a scenario. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagguhit | ||
Drawing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəsm | ||
| The word "rəsm" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "tradition" or "custom". | |||
| Kazakh | сурет салу | ||
| The Kazakh word "сурет салу" can also mean "to photograph" or "to take a picture of something". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүрөт тартуу | ||
| Tajik | расмкашӣ | ||
| 'Расмкашӣ' (drawing) has an alternative meaning of 'dividing up.' | |||
| Turkmen | çyzgy | ||
| Uzbek | rasm chizish | ||
| The word "rasm chizish" in Uzbek literally means "to draw a picture" or "to make a drawing." | |||
| Uyghur | رەسىم سىزىش | ||
Drawing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaha kiʻi | ||
| "Kaha kiʻi" can also mean "a small box or container" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | tuhi | ||
| Tuhi is also used to refer to tattoos and carvings in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | tusi ata | ||
| 'Tusi ata' ('drawing') derives its name from the Samoan word 'tusi' ('to write') and 'ata' ('morning'), reflecting the traditional practice of tattooing as a morning ritual. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagguhit | ||
| Pagguhit in Tagalog also means sketching or outlining and was derived from the Malay word 'tulis' which denotes 'writing'. | |||
Drawing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jamuqa | ||
| Guarani | ta'anga | ||
Drawing in International Languages
| Esperanto | desegnado | ||
| The word 'desegnado' also means 'designate' in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | drawing | ||
| The Latin verb "trahō" means "to drag or pull", which is related to the noun "ictus", meaning "a blow or stroke", suggesting that drawing was originally seen as an act of "pulling" a line across a surface. | |||
Drawing in Others Languages
| Greek | σχέδιο | ||
| "Σχέδιο" initially referred to a 'plan or scheme' and later evolved to its current artistic meaning, possibly influenced by its resemblance to the Italian word 'schizzo' meaning 'sketch'. | |||
| Hmong | daim duab | ||
| The Hmong word "daim duab" can mean "to draw", as well as "to embroider" or "to write a poem". | |||
| Kurdish | xet | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, 'xet' also meant 'a mark, a sign'. | |||
| Turkish | çizim | ||
| Çizim's etymology traces to the Proto-Turkic verb çizi, meaning 'to scratch' or 'to mark.' | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzoba | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'ukuzoba' also means 'to mark' or 'to write on a surface'. | |||
| Yiddish | צייכענונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "צייכענונג" (drawing) is derived from the German word "Zeichnung" and can also refer to a lottery ticket. | |||
| Zulu | umdwebo | ||
| "Umdwebo" also means "a plan; a design." | |||
| Assamese | অংকন কৰি থকা | ||
| Aymara | jamuqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | चित्रकारी | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރެހުން | ||
| Dogri | चित्तर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagguhit | ||
| Guarani | ta'anga | ||
| Ilocano | panangiladawan | ||
| Krio | drɔin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وێنە کێشان | ||
| Maithili | चित्रकारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯌꯦꯛꯄ ꯂꯥꯏ | ||
| Mizo | thilziak | ||
| Oromo | fakkii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିତ୍ରାଙ୍କନ | ||
| Quechua | siqisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | आरेखण | ||
| Tatar | рәсем | ||
| Tigrinya | ምስኣል | ||
| Tsonga | dirohwa | ||