====== lántú: 蓝图 - Blueprint, Plan, Vision ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** lán tú, lantú, 蓝图, lantu meaning, Chinese for blueprint, Chinese for plan, vision in Chinese, strategic plan Chinese, future plan, grand design, HSK 6 vocabulary * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **蓝图 (lántú)**, a powerful Chinese word that translates literally to "blueprint" but is most often used figuratively to describe a grand, ambitious plan or a vision for the future. Learn how this HSK 6 term is used in business, politics, and personal goal-setting to express large-scale aspirations and strategic thinking in modern China. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** lán tú * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 * **Concise Definition:** A blueprint; a detailed, long-term plan or vision for the future. * **In a Nutshell:** At its heart, **蓝图 (lántú)** is about a grand design. It started as the literal word for an architect's or engineer's blueprint. However, its modern usage has expanded to encompass any ambitious, forward-looking plan. Think of a company's five-year strategy, a government's national development goals, or even your personal "master plan" for your life. It's a word filled with hope, ambition, and large-scale thinking. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **蓝 (lán):** This character simply means **blue**. It's a color word, like in 蓝色 (lán sè - the color blue). * **图 (tú):** This character means **drawing, picture, map, or plan**. It's found in words like 地图 (dìtú - map) and 图片 (túpiàn - picture). * The combination **蓝图 (lántú)** literally means "blue drawing." This name comes from the traditional cyanotype process used to create architectural and engineering drawings, which resulted in white lines on a blue background. This literal origin of a physical, detailed plan grounds the word's modern, figurative meaning of a well-thought-out vision for the future. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on long-term planning and collective effort, which is perfectly encapsulated by the term **蓝图 (lántú)**. The word is frequently used in formal speeches by government officials and corporate leaders to describe national or company-wide goals. It evokes a sense of shared purpose and a structured path toward a better future, resonating with cultural values that prioritize foresight and societal progress. For example, China's famous "Five-Year Plans" (五年计划) are often described as the **蓝图** for the nation's development. * **Comparison to "Blueprint":** While "blueprint" in English can be used figuratively, it often retains a technical or mechanical feel. You can have a "blueprint for success," but you can also have a blueprint for a garden shed. **蓝图 (lántú)**, in its common figurative use, almost always implies a grander scale and a more aspirational quality. It's less about the technical schematics and more about the magnificent vision itself. Using **蓝图** for a small, simple plan would sound overly dramatic. It's closer in spirit to the English phrases "grand design" or "vision for the future." ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * **Formal & Ambitious Contexts:** **蓝图** is a formal word. You'll hear it constantly in the news, in government reports, and in corporate boardrooms. * **Government & Politics:** Describing national strategies, economic policies, urban development, and reform initiatives. It signals a serious, official, and comprehensive plan. * **Business:** Outlining a company's long-term strategy, market expansion plans, or a visionary product roadmap. It's used to inspire employees and stakeholders. * **Personal Life (Metaphorical):** While less common in casual conversation, it can be used metaphorically to describe a detailed and ambitious life plan or career path. It suggests that the person has a clear, long-term vision they are working towards. * **Connotation:** The connotation is overwhelmingly positive, carrying a sense of hope, ambition, structure, and progress. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 这家公司为未来五年制定了宏伟的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī wèi wèilái wǔ nián zhìdìngle hóngwěi de **lántú**. * English: This company has laid out a magnificent **blueprint** for the next five years. * Analysis: A classic business example. **宏伟 (hóngwěi)**, meaning "magnificent" or "grand," is an adjective that frequently modifies **蓝图**. * **Example 2:** * 建筑师向我们展示了新大楼的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Jiànzhùshī xiàng wǒmen zhǎnshìle xīn dàlóu de **lántú**. * English: The architect showed us the **blueprint** for the new building. * Analysis: This is the literal usage of the word, referring to an actual architectural drawing. * **Example 3:** * 政府发布了城市发展的**蓝图**,重点是绿色交通。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ fābùle chéngshì fāzhǎn de **lántú**, zhòngdiǎn shì lǜsè jiāotōng. * English: The government released the **blueprint** for urban development, with a focus on green transportation. * Analysis: A typical example from a government or news context, referring to a large-scale policy plan. * **Example 4:** * 他在大学时就已经规划好了自己人生的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Tā zài dàxué shí jiù yǐjīng guīhuà hǎo le zìjǐ rénshēng de **lántú**. * English: He had already mapped out the **blueprint** for his life when he was in college. * Analysis: A metaphorical use for a personal, ambitious life plan. It implies he was very forward-thinking and organized. * **Example 5:** * 我们需要为这个项目绘制一幅清晰的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào wèi zhège xiàngmù huìzhì yī fú qīngxī de **lántú**. * English: We need to draw up a clear **blueprint** for this project. * Analysis: The verb **绘制 (huìzhì)**, meaning "to draw" or "to map out," is often used with **蓝图**. * **Example 6:** * 改革开放为中国未来的发展描绘了美好的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Gǎigé kāifàng wèi Zhōngguó wèilái de fāzhǎn miáohuìle měihǎo de **lántú**. * English: The Reform and Opening-Up policy painted a beautiful **blueprint** for China's future development. * Analysis: This connects **蓝图** to a major historical event, showing its use in describing national-level vision. * **Example 7:** * 他们的婚姻**蓝图**包括买房子和生两个孩子。 * Pinyin: Tāmen de hūnyīn **lántú** bāokuò mǎi fángzi hé shēng liǎng ge háizi. * English: Their **blueprint** for their marriage includes buying a house and having two children. * Analysis: Shows how the term can be applied to a couple's shared long-term life plan, though this usage is a bit more formal or literary. * **Example 8:** * 这份报告是公司技术创新的**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Zhè fèn bàogào shì gōngsī jìshù chuàngxīn de **lántú**. * English: This report is the **blueprint** for the company's technological innovation. * Analysis: Highlights its use in the context of strategy and innovation. * **Example 9:** * 每个企业家心中都有一张创业**蓝图**。 * Pinyin: Měi ge qǐyèjiā xīnzhōng dōu yǒu yī zhāng chuàngyè **lántú**. * English: Every entrepreneur has a **blueprint** for their business in their heart. * Analysis: This sentence uses the measure word **张 (zhāng)**, which is for flat objects like paper, linking back to the word's literal origin as a drawing. * **Example 10:** * 实现这个宏伟的**蓝图**需要我们共同的努力。 * Pinyin: Shíxiàn zhège hóngwěi de **lántú** xūyào wǒmen gòngtóng de nǔlì. * English: Realizing this grand **blueprint** requires our collective effort. * Analysis: This emphasizes the theme of collective action often associated with achieving a **蓝图**. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Mistake: Using 蓝图 (lántú) for simple, everyday plans.** * A common mistake is to treat **蓝图** as a direct equivalent of the English "plan." You would not use it for your plan to go grocery shopping or your schedule for the weekend. * **Incorrect:** ~~我的周末**蓝图**是看电影和睡觉。~~ (Wǒ de zhōumò lántú shì kàn diànyǐng hé shuìjiào.) * **Reason:** This sounds overly dramatic and comical. **蓝图** is for large-scale, long-term, and aspirational plans. * **Correct:** Use [[计划]] (jìhuà) instead. 我的周末**计划**是看电影和睡觉。 (Wǒ de zhōumò jìhuà shì kàn diànyǐng hé shuìjiào.) * **Difference in Scale:** Remember that the key difference between **蓝图** and a general plan is scale and ambition. A **计划 (jìhuà)** is a plan, but a **蓝图 (lántú)** is a //grand// plan, a vision. Think of it as the difference between a to-do list and a life's mission statement. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[计划]] (jìhuà) - Plan, project. The most common and general word for a plan. A **蓝图** is a type of **计划**, but much grander. * [[规划]] (guīhuà) - To plan (verb); a program/plan (noun). Often used for systematic, large-scale planning like in [[城市规划]] (chéngshì guīhuà - urban planning). Very close to **蓝图** in meaning and formality. * [[愿景]] (yuànjǐng) - Vision (for the future). A very close synonym for the figurative meaning of **蓝图**. While **蓝图** can imply a concrete set of steps, **愿景** focuses more on the aspirational, future image itself. * [[草图]] (cǎotú) - A rough sketch, a draft. This is the opposite of a **蓝图**; it's a preliminary idea, not a detailed plan. * [[设计图]] (shèjìtú) - Design drawing, blueprint. A more technical and literal synonym for the architectural meaning of **蓝图**. * [[前景]] (qiánjǐng) - Prospects, outlook, future. Describes the potential that lies ahead, whereas **蓝图** is the active plan to shape that future. * [[宏伟]] (hóngwěi) - Grand, magnificent, imposing. An adjective frequently used to describe a **蓝图**.