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插图 (chā tú) — illustration

Definition

An illustration is a picture added to a book to explain or decorate the text. Unlike 图画 (a general drawing or picture) and 图表 (a chart or diagram for data), 插图 specifically appears inside a publication alongside written content.

noun
illustration
Measure word · 幅

Examples

  • 插图。
    Zhè běn jiào cái de chā tú fēi cháng jīng měi.
    The illustrations in this textbook are very exquisite.
  • 插图。
    Huà jiā wèi tóng huà gù shi huà le jǐ fú chā tú.
    The painter drew several illustrations for the fairy tale.
  • 插图。
    Méi yǒu chā tú de kē pǔ shū duì dú zhě xī yǐn lì bú dà.
    Popular science books without illustrations are not very attractive to readers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

插chāinsert
图túpicture

A 图 that is 插 into a text gives the sense of an illustration.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 插 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圖; 图 is its simplified writing.

  • 囗囗wéiwalled city
  • 啚啚bǐ

The traditional form 圖 pairs 囗, a walled city, with 啚, an early form meaning remote areas or territory. The simplified 图 is a later abbreviation.

Open 图 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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