Word
Kana: デッサン Romaji: dessan Level: N1

デッサン

Meaning in English

rough sketch (FRE: dessin)

Illustrated Dictionary
デッサン - Illustrated Dictionary
Sentence

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

デッサン means drawing in the sense of a hand drawn study or finished work, emphasizing the observation of form, light, and proportion; it is a core term in art education and studios for both the process and its results.

Main meanings

  • primary meaning: a drawing or drawing study
  • nuance: emphasizes observation and study over imaginative illustration
  • context: used for educational assignments and traditional drawing practice
  • broader use: can refer to drawing as a discipline within the arts

How to use it

Used in formal settings like art schools and studios, as well as in casual artistic circles; it denotes either the activity of drawing or the resulting artwork and is commonly treated as a noun within these contexts.

Variants and close terms

  • 素描, so-ga
  • 写生, shasei
  • スケッチ, suketchi

Etymology

From dessin in French, adapted into Japanese as デッサン, with a phonetic shift to fit Japanese phonology and a geminated consonant to reflect the original double consonant sound.

Origin

Introduced in the Meiji era through Western art education, the term was adopted into schools and artist communities to describe drawing practice and its results.

Word class

Noun (名詞)