Inklingo

How to Say "drawing" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dibujo

dee-BOO-hodiˈβu.xo

nounA1/B1general
Use 'dibujo' when referring to a picture or image created with a drawing tool, or the general skill/act of drawing.
A simple line drawing of a smiling sun on a piece of white paper, made with a black charcoal pencil.

Examples

Me encanta hacer un dibujo cada mañana.

I love to make a drawing every morning.

Mi hija hizo un dibujo de un perro y me lo regaló.

My daughter made a drawing of a dog and gave it to me.

El arquitecto nos mostró el dibujo de la nueva casa.

The architect showed us the design/drawing of the new house.

Necesito un buen dibujo técnico para entender cómo funciona esta máquina.

I need a good technical drawing to understand how this machine works.

Gender Check

Remember that 'dibujo' is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it (e.g., 'el dibujo', 'un dibujo bonito').

ilustración

nounA2general
Use 'ilustración' specifically for a graphic image or illustration, often found in books or publications.

Examples

La ilustración del cuento es muy colorida.

The illustration in the storybook is very colorful.

sacando

sah-KAHN-dohsaˈkando

verbA1general
Use 'sacando' (from the verb 'sacar') when referring to the action of taking something out, such as money from an ATM or trash.
A close-up view of a hand reaching into a wooden basket and physically removing a bright red apple.

Examples

Estoy sacando dinero del cajero automático.

I am taking out money from the ATM.

Ella está sacando la basura ahora mismo.

She is taking out the trash right now.

Estuvimos sacando fotos de la puesta de sol.

We were taking pictures of the sunset.

El dentista estaba sacando una muela con mucho cuidado.

The dentist was pulling out a molar very carefully.

Continuous Actions

"Sacando" is the '-ing' form (gerund). It works with "estar" to show an action happening right now: "Estamos sacando el coche" (We are taking out the car).

Spelling Change Alert

In tenses like the preterite and subjunctive, the 'c' changes to 'qu' (e.g., 'saqué') to keep the hard 'k' sound. This is very common for -car verbs!

Using the wrong helper verb

Mistake: “Somos sacando la basura.”

Correction: Estamos sacando la basura. Remember to use 'estar' (to be temporarily) with the gerund, not 'ser' (to be permanently).

Confusing 'dibujo' with 'sacando'

The most common mistake is confusing 'dibujo' (a drawing) with 'sacando' (taking out). Remember that 'sacando' is a verb form related to the action of removing or withdrawing, not a noun for a picture. 'Ilustración' is specifically for images in publications.

Related Translations

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