How to Say "to sketch" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to sketch” is “dibujar” — use 'dibujar' when referring to the general act of drawing, especially if it's a quick or rough artistic creation, like sketching a landscape or a portrait.
Use 'dibujar' when referring to the general act of drawing, especially if it's a quick or rough artistic creation, like sketching a landscape or a portrait.
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Use 'perfilar' when the focus is on creating the initial, rough outline or basic shape of a drawing, as if defining its contours before adding detail.
Learn more →dee-boo-HARdiβuˈxaɾ
Examples
Me gusta dibujar paisajes con lápiz.
I like to sketch landscapes with a pencil.
Ella dibuja un retrato de su hermano.
She is drawing a portrait of her brother.
A perfect starter verb
This is a regular '-ar' verb. Once you learn the pattern for this word, you can conjugate thousands of other Spanish verbs just like it!
Draw vs. Design
Mistake: “Using 'diseñar' when you mean to draw a picture.”
Correction: Use 'dibujar' for creating art with lines, and 'diseñar' for technical planning or fashion design.
per-fee-LARpeɾfiˈlaɾ
Examples
Ella empezó a perfilar el dibujo con un rotulador negro.
She started to sketch the drawing with a black marker.
Las montañas se perfilaban contra el cielo del atardecer.
The mountains were silhouetted against the evening sky.
Es importante perfilar bien los bordes antes de pintar.
It is important to outline the edges well before painting.
Using 'se' for shapes
When you want to say something's shape 'is visible' or 'stands out' against a background, use the reflexive form 'perfilarse'.
Don't confuse with 'dibujar'
Mistake: “Dibujar un borde.”
Correction: Perfilar un borde.
Dibujar vs. Perfilar
Learners often confuse 'dibujar' and 'perfilar' because both relate to drawing. Remember that 'dibujar' is the broader term for drawing (including sketching), while 'perfilar' specifically means to outline or sketch the basic shape.
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