noun, noun, used as a suffix
diagram; figure; drawing; chart; map
A visual representation such as a drawing, diagram, chart, graph, figure in a document, or map. Also used after a number or label, as in 図1 or 下図.
説明のために簡単な図を描いた。
I drew a simple diagram for the explanation.
詳しい構造は図3を参照してください。
Please refer to Figure 3 for the detailed structure.
noun
Refers to a situation viewed as a scene or picture in the mind, often with an evaluative tone such as amusing, awkward, or unpleasant. It is not the usual word for scenery or landscape.
大人二人が本気で言い争う図は、あまり見たくない。
I do not really want to see the sight of two adults arguing seriously.
猫が犬の上で寝ている図が妙におかしかった。
The scene of the cat sleeping on top of the dog was strangely funny.
絵 is a picture or artwork more generally; 図 often emphasizes an explanatory, schematic, or document-style visual.
図表 refers collectively to diagrams and tables/charts, especially in reports and textbooks; 図 alone can be any single figure, diagram, drawing, or map.
光景 is the ordinary word for a scene or sight that one sees; 図 in the scene sense feels more like a pictured or imagined tableau.
Sino-Japanese reading ず of 図. The kanji is conventionally associated with drawings, plans, and maps; 圖 is the older character form.