image · figure

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 像 expresses an image or figure and has the on-reading ぞう.
• Basic usage: 画像(がぞう) is an image, 銅像(どうぞう) a bronze statue, and 想像(そうぞう) the act of imagining.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Visible representations and mental images
  • 画像 is an image displayed on a screen or another medium, while 銅像 is a three-dimensional bronze statue. 想像 means forming a mental image, which does not require a visible representation in front of you.