Inklingo

How to Say "sketch" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dibujo

dee-BOO-hodiˈβu.xo

nounA1general
Use 'dibujo' when referring to a simple, quick, or rough drawing, often done casually or by a child.
A simple line drawing of a smiling sun on a piece of white paper, made with a black charcoal pencil.

Examples

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').

apunte

ah-POON-tehaˈpunte

nounB2general
Choose 'apunte' for a rough drawing or draft, especially one made in a notebook for study or reference purposes.
A charcoal pencil drawing of a simple landscape on a piece of paper.

Examples

Hizo un apunte del paisaje en su cuaderno.

He made a sketch of the landscape in his notebook.

Este es solo un apunte inicial de mi novela.

This is just an initial draft/outline of my novel.

Artistic usage

When used in art, 'apunte' refers to a drawing done very quickly to capture the essence of a moment.

esquema

es-KE-maesˈkema

nounA2general
Use 'esquema' when you mean a preliminary drawing or plan that outlines the basic structure or ideas for something larger.
A simple drawing showing the silhouette of a tree with branches, representing a structured outline.

Examples

Hice un esquema para estudiar para el examen.

I made an outline to study for the exam.

El profesor dibujó un esquema en la pizarra.

The teacher drew a diagram on the board.

Necesitamos un esquema claro antes de empezar el proyecto.

We need a clear plan before starting the project.

The 'MA' Gender Rule

Even though it ends in 'a', this word is masculine because it comes from Greek. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el esquema'.

Plural Form

To make it plural, just add an 's' to the end: 'los esquemas'. The gender remains masculine.

Wrong Gender

Mistake: “La esquema es útil.”

Correction: El esquema es útil. Words of Greek origin ending in -ma (like drama, tema, systema) are almost always masculine.

borrador

bo-rrah-DORboraˈðoɾ

nounB1general
Opt for 'borrador' when referring to the very first version or draft of a written work, like a story or essay.
A stack of papers with hand-drawn sketches and messy lines, representing an early version of a project.

Examples

He escrito el primer borrador de mi novela.

I have written the first draft of my novel.

Por favor, revisa este borrador antes de enviarlo.

Please, review this draft before sending it.

Todavía es un borrador muy preliminar.

It is still a very preliminary draft.

Abstract vs. Physical

The word works for both physical objects (erasers) and abstract concepts (ideas for a paper), because both can be 'erased' or changed.

Don't use as a verb

Mistake: “Saying 'Yo borrador el ensayo'.”

Correction: Borrador is only a thing. To say 'to draft,' use 'hacer un borrador' or 'redactar'.

Drawing vs. Writing Drafts

The most common confusion is between 'dibujo'/'apunte' (for visual sketches) and 'borrador'/'esquema' (for preliminary plans or written drafts). Remember that 'borrador' is almost exclusively for written text, while 'dibujo' and 'apunte' refer to visual representations.

Related Translations

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