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"to draw (a picture)" in seven languages

Meaningto draw (a picture)

Spanish

dibujar

/dibuˈxaɾ/

other source · origin disputed (often traced to Old French, 'to carve in wood')

French

dessiner

/desine/

borrowed · Old French desseigner, reshaped after Italian disegnare

Italian

disegnare

/diseɲˈɲare/

inherited

Portuguese

desenhar

/dezeˈɲah/

inherited

Latin -GN- became nh, as in LIGNUM → lenho.

Romanian

desena

/deseˈna/

borrowed · French dessiner

Catalan

dibuixar

/dibuˈʃa/

other source · origin disputed (like Spanish dibujar, often traced to Old French, 'to carve in wood')

English

draw

/dɹɔ/

native English · Old English dragan 'to drag'

English → Italianto draw (a picture)disegnareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: design, designate.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

DĒSIGNĀRE‘to mark out’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Drawing was 'marking out': Italian disegnare gave French dessiner and English design. Spanish dibujar is a different word, and English draw is native, from 'to drag' a pencil.

English relatives: design, designate

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esA mi hijo le encanta dibujar.
  • frMon fils adore dessiner.
  • itA mio figlio piace tanto disegnare.
  • ptMeu filho adora desenhar.
  • roFiului meu îi place mult să deseneze.
  • caAl meu fill li encanta dibuixar.
  • enMy son loves to draw.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words