HanziGuru.图 · tú
图
tú[tu2]Tone 2

diagram, picture, drawing, map, to plan

HSK 1
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圖
Guru Deep Dive

English · diagram, picture, drawing, map, to plan

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Topology:Full enclosure
Strokes:8
Writing Balance Rule: The outer border (囗) must be drawn wide and square first, leaving enough interior space so that the complex internal components do not crowd the walls.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form (圖) contains a complex internal phonetic component (畾), which was simplified in the modern character (图) by replacing it inside the enclosure with the simpler element 冬 (winter).
1. Meaning

picture, drawing, map, or diagram

to plan or schemeto attempt or pursue
Noun / VerbNeutral#art#cartography#action#planning
Sample Usage
  • 请看这幅地图。
    Qǐng kàn zhè fú dìtú.
    Please look at this map.
  • 他正在图谋大事。
    Tā zhèngzài túmóu dàshì.
    He is plotting a major undertaking.
2. Sound
/[tʰu³⁵]/Tone: 35
图
tútu2
++
´(35)
=tú
Initial Consonant
t
Type: Aspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: t like in 'tea'
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip pressed firmly against the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth, releasing a clear puff of air.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: -u rhymes with oo in 'too'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts mid and rises sharply to high, matching an incredulous English 'What?' or 'Really?'.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing Tone 2 (rising 35) with Tone 4 (falling 51), which turns 'map' (tú) into something else entirely.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises like a question mark or a shrug upward. Move your hand diagonally up from left to right.
3. Writing

Topology: Full enclosure · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The outer border (囗) must be drawn wide and square first, leaving enough interior space so that the complex internal components do not crowd the walls.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form (圖) contains a complex internal phonetic component (畾), which was simplified in the modern character (图) by replacing it inside the enclosure with the simpler element 冬 (winter).

4. Components

Radical 囗 · Enclosure Radical (border, enclosure, boundary)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 囗 (Represents the outer boundary or frame of a map or picture.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 冬 (original sound: tu)

Picture an outer boundary fence (囗) enclosing winter preparations or a frozen layout (冬), representing a sketched map or master plan.

  • 囗 Enclosure, frame, map border
  • 冬 Phonetic and design clue inside the border
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a region or territory within borders (囗) along with geographic markings to signify a map or territory plan.

Semantic Evolution: From a physical map or drawing of boundaries to any diagram, picture, or chart, and further extended to the verb meaning 'to plan' or 'to scheme'.

  • Ancient maps were heavily tied to administrative planning and military strategy in Chinese history.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ト (to), 図 (zu) / Kun: えが.く (egaku)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
도
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You look at a MAP (图) inside a picture frame (囗), planning your route for the cold WINTER (冬).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
途
túroad, wayAdd the walking radical (辶) to mean a road or journey on a map.
涂
túto smear, to applyAdd the water radical (氵) to mean smearing mud or paint.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
因(yīn)
因 has a big (大) inside the box, meaning 'cause/reason', whereas 图 has components for a map/drawing inside.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请帮我画一张去公司的[___]。
Clue: tú
Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting to draw the outer enclosing box (囗) last or closing it prematurely before finishing the internal components.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 图 mean when seen in compound words like 地图 (dìtú)?
Production: How do you write the character for 'map/picture' (tú) using the enclosure radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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