Dessiner is the most common way to say "to draw" in French. But did you know there are many other verbs that can also express the idea of drawing, each with its own subtle nuance? Just like in English, where we might "sketch," "design," or "trace," French offers a rich vocabulary for artists and doodlers alike. Expanding your vocabulary beyond just "dessiner" will allow you to describe your artistic endeavors with much greater precision. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to draw" in French and discover when to use each one!

The standard 'to draw' – dessiner

The standard "to draw" – dessiner

Dessiner is the most common and direct French verb for "to draw".

As a regular -er verb, its conjugation follows predictable patterns, making it relatively easy for beginners to master.

It generally refers to creating an image or representation with lines, using instruments like pencils, pens, or charcoal.

While dessiner is broad, it can also imply sketching or designing. It's distinct from peindre (to paint), which uses colors and brushes, though a drawing can be a preliminary step to a painting.

You can dessiner quelque chose (to draw something – transitive), or simply dessiner (to be engaged in the act of drawing – intransitive).

Commonly used phrases include dessiner un portrait (to draw a portrait), dessiner des plans (to draw up plans/designs), or aimer dessiner (to like drawing).

This verb is versatile and can be used in both informal daily conversations and more formal artistic or professional contexts.

In the passé composé, it becomes avoir dessiné, as in J'ai dessiné un paysage (I drew a landscape).

Mastering dessiner is fundamental for anyone wanting to talk about creating visual art or designs in French.

💡 * Elle aime dessiner des fleurs. (She likes to draw flowers.)

Il dessine très bien les animaux. (He draws animals very well.)

Nous avons dessiné un plan pour le nouveau jardin. (We drew a plan for the new garden.)

Pouvez-vous me dessiner une carte ? (Can you draw me a map?)

Les enfants passent des heures à dessiner. (The children spend hours drawing.)

The 'to trace' or 'to draw a line' – tracer

Tracer is a versatile French verb that primarily means 'to trace' or 'to draw a line'. It's commonly used when referring to the act of creating a line, outline, or path.

You'll often encounter tracer in contexts like drawing, sketching, or even when talking about marking a route or a boundary. Think of it as 'to delineate' or 'to sketch out'.

Beyond its literal sense, tracer can also be used figuratively to mean 'to map out' or 'to chart a course or plan'. For instance, tracer son chemin means 'to forge one's path'.

Tracer is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward for most tenses. Remember to pay attention to the c changing to ç before o and a in some conjugations (e.g., nous traçons) to maintain the /s/ sound.

💡 *Il a tracé une ligne droite sur le papier. (He drew a straight line on the paper.)
*Nous traçons un plan pour les vacances. (We are mapping out a plan for the holidays.)
*Elle aime tracer des motifs complexes. (She likes to draw complex patterns.)
*Le bateau a tracé son sillage dans l'eau. (The boat traced its wake in the water.)
*Il faut tracer un cercle parfait. (One must draw a perfect circle.)

The 'to sketch' or 'to outline' – esquisser

The French verb esquisser translates directly to 'to sketch' or 'to outline' in English. It implies creating a preliminary, often rough, version of something.

Most commonly, esquisser is used in an artistic context, referring to the act of sketching a drawing or making a preliminary draft of a piece of art. It captures the initial, spontaneous rendering of a subject.

Beyond art, esquisser can also be used to mean to outline an idea, to sketch out a plan, or to briefly describe a concept. It conveys the idea of giving a concise, initial overview without going into full detail.

Esquisser is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation relatively straightforward. It follows the typical pattern for verbs ending in -er.

While dessiner means 'to draw' in a general sense, esquisser specifically implies a sketch or outline – a less finished, more preparatory drawing. Think of it as the first step before a full dessin (drawing).

💡 * Elle aime esquisser des paysages. (She likes to sketch landscapes.)* Il a esquissé un plan pour le projet. (He outlined a plan for the project.)* Pouvez-vous esquisser les grandes lignes de votre proposition? (Can you outline the main points of your proposal?)* J'ai esquissé son portrait en quelques minutes. (I sketched his portrait in a few minutes.)

The 'to rough out' or 'to make a preliminary sketch' – ébaucher

The verb ébaucher directly translates to "to rough out," "to make a preliminary sketch," or "to outline" in English. It implies the initial, often unfinished, stage of creating something.

This verb emphasizes the preliminary and incomplete nature of an action or creation. It suggests that the work is just beginning, lacking detail and refinement, and is far from its final form.

Ébaucher is frequently used in artistic contexts (e.g., sketching a painting), in writing (e.g., outlining a novel), or when developing plans and ideas (e.g., drafting a project proposal).

As a regular -er verb, ébaucher follows standard conjugation patterns. It is a transitive verb, meaning it usually takes a direct object, indicating what is being roughed out or sketched.

💡 * J'ai ébauché un portrait rapide. (I sketched a quick portrait.)

Elle a ébauché un plan pour le nouveau projet. (She outlined a plan for the new project.)

Le sculpteur a ébauché la forme générale de la statue. (The sculptor roughed out the general shape of the statue.)

Nous avons juste ébauché quelques idées pour la réunion. (We just outlined a few ideas for the meeting.)

Il a ébauché un sourire avant de partir. (He gave a faint smile before leaving.)

The 'to sketch quickly' or 'to draw from life' – croquer

The verb croquer primarily means 'to sketch quickly' or 'to draw from life.' It implies capturing the essence of a subject with speed and spontaneity, often without elaborate detail.

Beyond its artistic sense, croquer also carries the more literal meaning of 'to crunch' or 'to munch on something,' especially food. This reflects its etymological root, linked to the sound of crunching.

One popular idiomatic expression is croquer la vie à pleines dents, which translates to 'to live life to the fullest' or 'to seize life with both hands,' literally 'to crunch life with full teeth.'

Whether you're capturing a fleeting moment on paper or enjoying a crisp apple, croquer offers a versatile linguistic tool in French, bridging the gap between artistic expression and everyday actions.

💡 * Il aime croquer les passants dans la rue. (He likes to sketch passersby in the street.)

J'ai croqué une pomme pour mon goûter. (I munched on an apple for my snack.)

Elle croque la vie à pleines dents depuis qu'elle a déménagé. (She's living life to the fullest since she moved.)

L'artiste a croqué son modèle en quelques minutes. (The artist sketched his model in a few minutes.)

The 'to illustrate' – illustrer

The French verb illustrer directly translates to “to illustrate” in English. Its core meaning revolves around making something clearer or more vivid, either visually or through explanation.

One common use of illustrer is when referring to adding images or drawings to a text, book, or concept. For example, an artist illustrates a children's book, or a lecture is illustrated with slides.

Beyond visuals, illustrer is also used when you provide examples or evidence to explain, demonstrate, or clarify a point. You illustrate an argument with facts, or illustrate a theory with a case study.

It's often used in phrases like illustrer un propos (to illustrate a point), illustrer un livre (to illustrate a book), or pour illustrer mes dires (to illustrate what I'm saying).

Illustrer is a regular -ER verb, meaning its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er (e.g., j'illustre, tu illustres, il illustre, etc.).

💡 *Elle a illustré plusieurs livres pour enfants. (She illustrated several children's books.)
*Pouvez-vous illustrer votre argument avec un exemple ? (Can you illustrate your argument with an example?)
*Le professeur a illustré la théorie avec une étude de cas. (The professor illustrated the theory with a case study.)
*Ces graphiques illustrent parfaitement la croissance de l'entreprise. (These graphs perfectly illustrate the company's growth.)

The 'to represent' or 'to depict' – représenter

The French verb représenter primarily translates to 'to represent' or 'to depict' in English. It's a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts, from art to official roles.

One common use of représenter is to talk about how something is depicted or portrayed, especially in art, media, or descriptions. It refers to showing an image, creating a visual representation, or describing something in words.

Beyond visual depiction, représenter also means 'to stand for,' 'to symbolize,' or 'to act as a representative for' someone or something. This is often used in more formal or official contexts, like an attorney representing a client, or a flag representing a country.

💡 * Ce tableau représente une scène de la vie rurale. (This painting depicts a scene of rural life.)

Le lion représente la force et le courage. (The lion represents strength and courage.)

Notre délégué représente la classe au conseil des élèves. (Our delegate represents the class on the student council.)

Ces chiffres représentent une augmentation significative. (These figures represent a significant increase.)

The 'to portray' or 'to depict' – dépeindre

The verb dépeindre primarily means 'to portray', 'to depict', or 'to describe' in a detailed and often vivid manner.

It is commonly used to describe something or someone with words, as if creating a painting or an image in the mind. This can apply to characters, scenes, emotions, or situations, emphasizing a rich, descriptive quality.

As a verb that ends in -eindre, dépeindre follows the irregular conjugation pattern of peindre (to paint). For example, its past participle is dépeint (or dépeinte for feminine).

💡 * Elle a dépeint un tableau saisissant de la vie rurale. (She depicted a striking picture of rural life.)

L'auteur dépeint ses personnages avec une grande profondeur psychologique. (The author portrays his characters with great psychological depth.)

Comment dépeindriez-vous cette époque? (How would you describe/depict this era?)

Le film dépeint les difficultés de la guerre. (The film portrays the hardships of war.)

The 'to figure' or 'to depict a form' – figurer

The French verb figurer is a versatile and interesting verb that can be translated in several ways, primarily meaning 'to figure,' 'to appear,' or 'to depict.' Understanding its various nuances is key to mastering its use.

One of the most common uses of figurer is to express that something or someone appears, is present, or is included in a list, a scene, or a document. It signifies presence or inclusion.

Another significant meaning of figurer is 'to depict,' 'to represent,' or 'to portray.' This is often used in artistic or descriptive contexts, referring to how something is shown or illustrated.

When used in its reflexive form, se figurer, the meaning shifts entirely to 'to imagine,' 'to picture,' or 'to conceive.' This is a crucial distinction and often implies a mental representation.

Figurer is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward. Pay close attention to the context to determine which meaning is intended, especially when distinguishing between its transitive and reflexive uses.

💡 * Il figure sur la liste des invités. (He is on the guest list.)

Cette scène figure dans le premier chapitre du livre. (This scene appears in the first chapter of the book.)

Le tableau figure une bataille historique. (The painting depicts a historical battle.)

Elle ne figurait pas parmi les gagnants. (She was not among the winners.)

Je me figure mal la situation sans toi. (I can hardly imagine the situation without you.)

Figure-toi qu'il a gagné la loterie! (Imagine that he won the lottery!)

Are there other ways to say 'to draw' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to draw” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to draw” in French. But French, like any rich language, has many nuances, from formal terms to more casual or specialized verbs for different kinds of artistic creation.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire dessiner en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local variations or slang.

You might find some interesting synonyms for dessiner on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it, especially for artistic terms which can have specific connotations.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — especially documentaries or interviews with artists — you may discover different verbs used to describe various drawing techniques or artistic processes.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different artistic actions, or words related to drawing and art in French, the WordReference entry for dessiner is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in expanding your French vocabulary for drawing. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Jean-Michel Basquiat: "Dessiner, c'est penser avec un crayon." (Drawing is thinking with a pencil.)

9 ways to say "to draw" in French