全貌

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 全貌, read ぜんぼう, and it combines 全, meaning whole, with 貌, meaning appearance or form.
• Basic usage: The basic sense of 全貌 is the full picture of an event, plan, or object, including aspects that were previously hidden or not visible together.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The complete picture rather than partial clues
  • Both examples use the form 全貌. For an incident, it is the whole story uncovered through investigation; for a mountain, it is the entire visible profile.
• An unfolding investigation and a view from the opposite hill
  • 調査が進み、事件の全貌が少しずつ見えてきました。 — As the investigation progressed, the full story of the incident gradually emerged.
  • 山の全貌を見るため、向かい側の丘へ登りました。 — We climbed the opposite hill to see the mountain's entire profile.