Portray in Different Languages
Discover 'Portray' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'portray' holds a significant place in our linguistic and cultural landscape, as it allows us to represent and understand the world around us. Derived from the Old French 'portraire', this verb signifies the act of depicting or representing someone or something in a particular way. Throughout history, portrayals have shaped our understanding of events, people, and ideas, from Renaissance paintings to modern cinema.
Given its cultural importance, it's no surprise that individuals across the globe might be interested in learning how to say 'portray' in various languages. After all, the ability to convey thoughts and emotions accurately is vital for effective communication and fostering connections with others.
For instance, in Spanish, 'portray' becomes 'representar', while in German, it's translated as 'darstellen'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word takes on a more pictorial form, '描绘 (mí shào)'. These translations not only reveal linguistic nuances but also offer glimpses into different cultural perspectives.
Join us as we delve deeper into the translations of 'portray' in various languages, uncovering intriguing insights and fostering a greater appreciation for the richness of human language and culture.
Portray
Portray in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | uitbeeld | ||
| The word "uitbeeld" is derived from the Dutch word "uitbeelden", which means "to represent" or "to depict". In Afrikaans, it can also mean "to portray" or "to express". | |||
| Amharic | አሳይ | ||
| The word "አሳይ" can also mean "to test" or "to try". | |||
| Hausa | bayyana | ||
| (Hausa) 'bayyana': to clarify, expose, interpret, explain, illustrate, manifest, portray, reveal, make known. | |||
| Igbo | gosi | ||
| "Gosi" in Igbo derives from "gosi-gosi," meaning "carefully and meticulously," implying the precision involved in portraying accurately. | |||
| Malagasy | mampiseho | ||
| "Mampiseho" originates from the root word "seho" meaning "face". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | onetsani | ||
| The verb 'onetsani' in Nyanja (Chichewa) may also mean 'to draw', hence the alternate translation is 'to draw someone’s image'. | |||
| Shona | kuratidza | ||
| The word "kuratidza" comes from the Shona root "rata", meaning "to portray", "to imitate", or "to represent." | |||
| Somali | sawirid | ||
| The word "sawirid" in Somali also refers to a picture or an image. | |||
| Sesotho | hlahisa | ||
| The term “hlahisa” means “portray”, but it can also mean “describe” or “explain” in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | onyesha | ||
| "Onyesha" can also mean "show" or "display" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzoba | ||
| Ukubona and ukubonakalisa (used in this context) are derived from an ancient Bantu word, bon-, a verb stem meaning to see or understand. | |||
| Yoruba | aworan | ||
| The word "aworan" also means "picture" or "image" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukuveza | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ukuveza" is derived from the word "ukuveza," meaning "to show or make something known." | |||
| Bambara | ja jira | ||
| Ewe | ƒe nɔnɔmetata | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shushanya | ||
| Lingala | kosala bililingi | ||
| Luganda | okulaga ekifaananyi | ||
| Sepedi | swantšha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | yɛ mfonini | ||
Portray in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تصوير | ||
| The word "تصوير" (taswir) also means "to draw" or "to photograph" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | לתאר | ||
| The Hebrew word לתאר also means "to describe" and "to depict". | |||
| Pashto | انځور | ||
| "انځور" also refers to the process of taking someone's photograph in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | تصوير | ||
| The word "تصوير" (taswir) also means "to draw" or "to photograph" in Arabic. | |||
Portray in Western European Languages
| Albanian | portretizoj | ||
| The word "portretizoj" in Albanian is derived from the French "porter" meaning "portray". Additionally, in the context of drawing or photography, it means "pose". | |||
| Basque | erretratatu | ||
| The word "erretratatu" can also mean "to depict" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | retratar | ||
| The verb "retratar" in Catalan can also mean "to take a picture", "to photograph" or "to draw a picture of someone or something." | |||
| Croatian | portretirati | ||
| The word "portretirati" in Croatian ultimately derives from the French word "portraire", which means "to draw" or "to depict". | |||
| Danish | skildre | ||
| The Danish word "skildre" also means "to describe" or "to depict". | |||
| Dutch | portretteren | ||
| The Dutch word "portretteren" is derived from the French "pourtraire", which in turn comes from the Latin "protrahere" meaning "to draw forth". | |||
| English | portray | ||
| "Portray" also means a "harbor or port". | |||
| French | représenter | ||
| "Représenter" can also mean "to stand for" or "to act on behalf of." | |||
| Frisian | portrettearje | ||
| It is derived from the French word “portraitier” (to portray) and from the noun “portraict” (portrait). | |||
| Galician | retratar | ||
| In Galician, "retratar" can also mean "to photograph" or "to draw a portrait of someone" | |||
| German | porträtieren | ||
| The word "porträtieren" is derived from the French "portrait" and Latin "protrahere". It originally meant "to draw out" or "to depict", and could refer to any type of representation, including paintings, sculptures, and even written descriptions. | |||
| Icelandic | sýna | ||
| Sýna, which means "to portray" in Icelandic, is also used to describe the act of "showing" or "presenting" something. | |||
| Irish | portráid | ||
| In Irish, the word "portráid" derives from the French word "portrait" and can also refer to "depiction" or "illustration". | |||
| Italian | ritrarre | ||
| The Italian word "ritrarre" also means "to retract" or "to withdraw". | |||
| Luxembourgish | duergestallt | ||
| Duergestallt originally comes from the German word "darstellen" which also means "to present" or "to expose". | |||
| Maltese | ipinġi | ||
| The Maltese word "ipinġi" can also mean "to depict". | |||
| Norwegian | skildre | ||
| The word 'skildre' comes from the Old Norse verb 'skilja' meaning 'to divide' or 'to separate'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | retratar | ||
| In Portuguese, "retratar" can also mean "to depict" or "to describe". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dealbh | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "portray," "dealbh" also means "likeness," "copy," or "image. | |||
| Spanish | retratar | ||
| In medieval Spanish, "retratar" meant "to withdraw or retract", and today it sometimes means "to delay or cancel" in Latin America. | |||
| Swedish | porträttera | ||
| Swedish "porträttera" translates as "portray" in English and it also has the meaning "to portray", but in the sense of "to behave like someone or to play someone in drama". | |||
| Welsh | portread | ||
| In Welsh, 'portread' originated from the Middle English 'portray' and can also mean 'to carry' or 'to depict' something physically. | |||
Portray in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адлюстраваць | ||
| Bosnian | oslikati | ||
| The verb 'oslikati' (portray) is derived from the noun 'oslik' (form), which in turn comes from the root 'ob' (around, about), suggesting the act of creating a representation of something by drawing around or outlining its form. | |||
| Bulgarian | изобразявам | ||
| "Изобразявам" means to 'depict' something, but it can also refer to 'acting' or 'playing a role' in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | zobrazit | ||
| The Czech verb "zobrazit" also means "to display" in computing and technology. | |||
| Estonian | kujutama | ||
| The word "kujutama" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*kujVttama", which means "to shape, form, or create". | |||
| Finnish | kuvata | ||
| The word "kuvata" also means "to portray" in Russian. | |||
| Hungarian | ábrázolni | ||
| The verb "ábrázolni" is derived from the noun "ábra", meaning "figure", suggesting its original sense of "to depict or represent a figure." | |||
| Latvian | attēlot | ||
| The word "attēlot" derives from the Latin word "attollere," meaning "to lift up" or "to elevate." | |||
| Lithuanian | vaizduoti | ||
| The word "vaizduoti" also has the meanings "to imagine" and "to represent." | |||
| Macedonian | портретирај | ||
| The word "portray" comes from the Old French word "portraire," meaning "to draw or paint a picture of." | |||
| Polish | przedstawiać | ||
| "Przedstawiać" etymologically derives from the Slavic word "stavać" (to stand), thus originally meaning "to stand before". | |||
| Romanian | portretiza | ||
| The Romanian word "portretiza" comes from French "portraire", meaning "to draw", which in turn derives from Latin "protrahere", meaning "to drag forth". | |||
| Russian | изображать | ||
| The verb "изображать" can also mean "to depict", "to represent", "to show", or "to illustrate". | |||
| Serbian | портретирати | ||
| The word 'portray' originates from the Old French word 'portraire', which means 'to draw' or 'to describe'. | |||
| Slovak | vykresliť | ||
| "Vykresliť" in Slovak also means to strike out or cross out. | |||
| Slovenian | portretirati | ||
| The word "portretirati" can also mean "to portray" or "to depict" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | зобразити | ||
| The Ukrainian word "зобразити" can also mean to depict, illustrate, or represent something. | |||
Portray in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভাষায় বর্ণনা করা | ||
| "Portray" comes from the Old French "portraire," meaning "to draw" or "to delineate," and is related to the Latin "protrahere," meaning "to drag forth". | |||
| Gujarati | ચિત્રણ | ||
| "ચિત્રણ" can also be an artistic depiction or representation. | |||
| Hindi | चित्रकला | ||
| चित्रकला is derived from the Sanskrit root 'चित्र' (meaning 'picture' or 'painted'), and also refers to the art of painting and drawing in India. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಂಬಿಸಲು | ||
| Malayalam | ചിത്രീകരിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | चित्रण | ||
| "चित्रण" comes from the Sanskrit word "चित्र," meaning "picture", and literally means "the act of drawing". | |||
| Nepali | चित्रण | ||
| The Nepali word "चित्रण" can also be used to refer to the process of drawing, painting, or sketching. | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਸਵੀਰ | ||
| The word 'Tasveer' is derived from the Persian word 'Tasvir', meaning 'image' or 'picture'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිරූපණය කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | சித்தரிக்க | ||
| Telugu | చిత్రీకరించండి | ||
| In English, "portray" can also mean to describe or present something in a specific way. | |||
| Urdu | پیش | ||
| In addition to its basic meaning, "پیش" (portray) can also indicate "to produce" or "to make" in a more general sense, or to "present" or "exhibit" something for others to see. | |||
Portray in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 写真 | ||
| The Chinese characters "写真" can also refer to photography or a photograph. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 寫真 | ||
| The character "寫" in "寫真" originally meant "to write or draw" and is still used in the context of calligraphy and photography. | |||
| Japanese | 描写する | ||
| "描写する" has another meaning, "to describe". It can mean to "describe a person or thing by speech or writing". | |||
| Korean | 그리다 | ||
| The word "그리다" in Korean can also mean "to draw" or "to depict". | |||
| Mongolian | дүрслэх | ||
| дүрслэх (dүrslex) is derived from the Mongol word “dür”, meaning “image”. It refers to the act of presenting an image or likeness of something, either by painting, drawing, or acting. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပုံဖော် | ||
Portray in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menggambarkan | ||
| "Menggambarkan" derives from "gambar", meaning "picture", implying a more visual representation | |||
| Javanese | nggambarake | ||
| The Javanese word "nggambarake" can be used to describe creating images or capturing the essence of something, or to describe the act of acting or pretending to be someone or something else. | |||
| Khmer | បង្ហាញ | ||
| The word "បង្ហាញ" (portray) in Khmer can also mean "to show" or "to demonstrate". | |||
| Lao | ສະແດງ | ||
| The word ສະແດງ can also refer to demonstrating something or performing a play. | |||
| Malay | menggambarkan | ||
| The word "menggambarkan" can refer to both the act of portraying or the act of describing something through images or words. | |||
| Thai | พรรณนา | ||
| "พรรณนา" is the word for 'botany' or 'description' | |||
| Vietnamese | vẽ chân dung | ||
| "Vẽ chân dung" means "draw a portrait" or "describe (someone or something) in detail" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ilarawan | ||
Portray in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təsvir etmək | ||
| The word "təsvir etmək" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to depict" or "to represent". | |||
| Kazakh | бейнелеу | ||
| The Kazakh word "бейнелеу" also means "to depict", "to represent", and "to illustrate". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүрөттөө | ||
| Tajik | тасвир кунед | ||
| The word "тасвир кунед" (tasvir kuneyd) is derived from the Arabic word "صور" (sawwar), meaning "to form" or "to create." | |||
| Turkmen | suratlandyryň | ||
| Uzbek | tasvirlash | ||
| "tasvirlash" also means "describe" or "depict" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تەسۋىر | ||
Portray in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiʻi | ||
| The word "kiʻi" can also mean "image", "statue", "model", or "representation". | |||
| Maori | whakaahua | ||
| Whakaahua also means to 'make a likeness' or 'to take a photograph'. | |||
| Samoan | ata | ||
| The Samoan word “ata” also means “day” or “daylight”. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | portray | ||
| The Tagalog word "larawan" has multiple meanings in English, such as painting or print, image or portrait, representation, description, or depiction. | |||
Portray in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñacht’ayaña | ||
| Guarani | ohechauka | ||
Portray in International Languages
| Esperanto | portreti | ||
| The Esperanto word 'portreti' is thought to be derived from the French 'portrait' or Italian 'ritrarre' (both meaning 'to portray'), but others believe it is derived from the Latin 'protrahere' (meaning 'to drag forth'). | |||
| Latin | effingo | ||
| Effingo also means 'to shape' or 'to form' and is the origin of the term 'effigy'. | |||
Portray in Others Languages
| Greek | απεικονίζω | ||
| In Homer, "απεικονίζω" refers to depicting a person or an object on a flat surface. | |||
| Hmong | portray | ||
| The Hmong word "puag" can also mean "to draw" or "to write." | |||
| Kurdish | sûretkirin | ||
| The Kurdish word "sûretkirin" also means "to draw" or "to sketch." | |||
| Turkish | tasvir etmek | ||
| Tasvir etmek originates from the Arabic word "sawwara," meaning "to depict" or "to form". It can also refer to creating images or representations of people, places, or objects. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuzoba | ||
| Ukubona and ukubonakalisa (used in this context) are derived from an ancient Bantu word, bon-, a verb stem meaning to see or understand. | |||
| Yiddish | שילדערן | ||
| The Yiddish word "שילדערן" can also mean to "describe" or "depict". | |||
| Zulu | ukuveza | ||
| In Zulu, the word "ukuveza" is derived from the word "ukuveza," meaning "to show or make something known." | |||
| Assamese | চিত্ৰিত কৰা | ||
| Aymara | uñacht’ayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | चित्रण करे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދައްކުވައިދެއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | चित्रण करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ilarawan | ||
| Guarani | ohechauka | ||
| Ilocano | iladawan | ||
| Krio | pikchɔ dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وێناکردن | ||
| Maithili | चित्रण करब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯠꯊꯥꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | portray a ni | ||
| Oromo | fakkeessuun ni danda’ama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିତ୍ରଣ | ||
| Quechua | siq’iy | ||
| Sanskrit | चित्रयति | ||
| Tatar | сурәтләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ስእሊ ምቕራብ | ||
| Tsonga | ku kombisa | ||