picture
Definitions
A painting, drawing, photograph, or other visual image
图画；照片；图像
A film, or the overall situation as you understand it
电影；（对局势的）整体了解，全局
To form an image of something in your mind; to imagine
想象，设想
To show or represent in a picture
（用图画）描绘，描画
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpict (paint) + -ure (result of an action) = 'the result of painting' — a painted image. Latin pictura was a painted scene; English widened it to any image, then to film, then to 'the big picture' (the whole situation). As a verb, you paint the image on your mind: to picture something is to imagine it.
Root pict still carries 8 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.take a picture拍照
- 2.paint a picture画一幅画
- 3.the big picture全局，大局
- 4.get the picture明白，理解
- 5.picture frame相框
Example Sentences
- 1.
She hung a picture of the sea above her bed.
- 2.
Can you take a picture of us in front of the bridge?
- 3.
Close your eyes and picture a quiet beach at sunset.
- 4.
These figures give us a clearer picture of the company's finances.
Easily Confused
picture vs photo vs image — picture is the broadest: a painting, drawing, or photo all count. photo is specifically camera-made. image is the most abstract — it can be mental, digital, or even a reputation (a public image). You 'take a photo/picture' but you 'form an image.'