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trazar

tra-SARtɾaˈsaɾ

“trazar” means “to draw” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to draw

Also: to trace
VerbB1spelling change ar
A hand holding a pencil drawing a clean, straight line on a piece of white paper.
gerundtrazando
past Participletrazado
infinitivetrazar

📝 In Action

Ella traza una línea recta con la regla.

A2

She draws a straight line with the ruler.

El arquitecto trazó los planos del edificio.

B1

The architect drew the plans for the building.

Es difícil trazar el mapa de esta zona.

B2

It is difficult to map out (draw the map of) this area.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • dibujar (to draw)
  • delinear (to outline)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • trazar una línea – to draw a line
  • trazar un círculo – to draw a circle

to devise

Also: to outline
VerbB2spelling change ar
A person looking at a large blueprint or layout on a table, pointing at a specific path.
gerundtrazando
past Participletrazado
infinitivetrazar

📝 In Action

Debemos trazar un plan de acción para el próximo año.

B2

We must devise an action plan for next year.

El gobierno trazó una nueva política económica.

C1

The government outlined a new economic policy.

Trazaron su futuro con mucha ambición.

B2

They mapped out their future with a lot of ambition.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • trazar un plan – to devise a plan
  • trazar una meta – to set a goal
  • trazar una estrategia – to map out a strategy

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotrazara
tútrazaras
él/ella/ustedtrazara
nosotrostrazáramos
vosotrostrazarais
ellos/ellas/ustedestrazaran

Present Subjunctive

yotrace
tútraces
él/ella/ustedtrace
nosotrostracemos
vosotrostracéis
ellos/ellas/ustedestracen

Indicative

Preterite

yotracé
tútrazaste
él/ella/ustedtrazó
nosotrostrazamos
vosotrostrazasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedestrazaron

Imperfect

yotrazaba
tútrazabas
él/ella/ustedtrazaba
nosotrostrazábamos
vosotrostrazabais
ellos/ellas/ustedestrazaban

Present

yotrazo
tútrazas
él/ella/ustedtraza
nosotrostrazamos
vosotrostrazáis
ellos/ellas/ustedestrazan
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "trazar" in Spanish:

to devise→to draw→to outline→to trace→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: trazar

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the correct 'yo' form for 'trazar' in the past (Preterite)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el trazo(stroke/line) — Noun
el trazado(layout/design) — Noun
el tiralíneas(drawing pen) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Vulgar Latin 'tractiare', which comes from 'tractus', the past participle of 'trahere', meaning 'to pull' or 'to draw'. It is a cousin to the English word 'trace'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: tracerEnglish: traceItalian: tracciare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'trazar' just a fancy way of saying 'dibujar'?

Not exactly! While they both mean 'to draw', 'dibujar' is more for art/pictures, while 'trazar' is for lines, paths, maps, and technical plans.

Does 'trazar' change in the present tense?

No, it is regular in the present tense (trazo, trazas, traza...). It only changes the 'z' to 'c' in the past (yo tracé) and the subjunctive.

Can I use 'trazar' for a route on a GPS?

Yes! It is perfect for describing the act of mapping out or marking a route from point A to point B.