---
title: portray — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «portray» in the school dictionary: To portray someone is to paint, draw or photograph them. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# portray

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** painter, book, actor · **What happens:** portray, be, draw, photograph · **To what, where:** someone, them, story, something, words, queen

<!-- .vabout -->
«portray» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [portray in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/portray.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To portray someone is to paint, draw or photograph them.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:m1:1
# text = To portray someone is to paint, draw or photograph them.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	portray	portray	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	paint	paint	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	draw	draw	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	photograph	photograph	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
11	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | to-infinitive |  | someone |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent someone=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | paint *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **draw** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **photograph** | infinitive |  | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | vn transcribe-25.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To portray someone is to show them in a story or on stage as a certain kind of person.

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:m2:1
# text = To portray someone is to show them in a story or on stage as a certain kind of person.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	portray	portray	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	show	show	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	stage	stage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
14	as	as	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	certain	certain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | to-infinitive |  | someone |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent someone=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | a story or stage |  | as a certain kind of person; show *property* | tree rules |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To portray something is to describe it in words.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:m3:1
# text = To portray something is to describe it in words.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	portray	portray	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	describe	describe	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent something=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | words |  | describe *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The painter portrayed the queen in gold and blue.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:x1:1
# text = The painter portrayed the queen in gold and blue.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	painter	painter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	portrayed	portray	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	queen	queen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | past | the painter | the queen |  | gold |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent queen=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The book portrays the sea as cruel.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:x2:1
# text = The book portrays the sea as cruel.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	portrays	portray	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	as	as	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	cruel	cruel	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | present | the book | the sea |  |  |  | as cruel | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent sea=Theme as cruel=Attribute |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The actor portrays the wicked king on stage.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:portray:x3:1
# text = The actor portrays the wicked king on stage.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	actor	actor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	portrays	portray	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	stage	stage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **portray** | present | the actor | the wicked king |  | stage |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent king=Theme |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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