The word 图像 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core visual concept. 图 (tú) means "picture", "chart", or "plan", representing the idea of a drawn or designed representation. 像 (xiàng) means "likeness", "portrait", or "image", emphasizing resemblance to an original form. When joined, they create a compound that conceptually layers these ideas, where 图 provides the category of a visual representation and 像 specifies its nature as a faithful likeness, together forming the comprehensive concept of an "image" or "picture" as a visual depiction.