图书 túshū books (in a library or bookstore)
How to remember 图书: 图 diagram + 书 book = books (in a library or bookstore).
Characters
How it is used
- 图书 (túshū) is a formal, collective word for "books," mostly seen in institutional names and signage rather than casual talk.
- It shows up almost exclusively in compounds: 图书馆 (túshūguǎn, library), 图书馆员 (librarian), 图书出版 (book publishing).
- For everyday speech about reading a book, use 书 (shū) instead - 我在看书 (wǒ zài kàn shū), not 图书, which sounds like a catalog term.
- Learners often overuse 图书 for a single book; it's really a mass-noun label for books-as-category (as in a library or industry).
Example sentences
- 我去图书馆还书。 Wǒ qù túshūguǎn huánshū.I'm going to the library to return the books.
- 我去图书馆借书。 Wǒ qù túshūguǎn jiè shū.I'm going to the library to borrow some books.
- 他们在图书馆里学习。 Tāmen zài túshūguǎn lǐ xuéxí.They're studying in the library.
- 我去图书馆找资料。 Wǒ qù túshūguǎn zhǎo zīliào.I'm going to the library to try to find some information/materials.