地图 (dì tú) literally means 'earth picture' — 地 (dì) means 'earth' or 'ground', and 图 (tú) means 'picture', 'drawing', or 'chart'. Together, they form the standard word for 'map' in modern Chinese: a visual representation of geographical features, locations, routes, or spatial relationships. Maps are used for navigation, education, urban planning, and travel.

This noun is neutral in register and appears in both formal and everyday contexts — from digital maps on smartphones to paper maps in classrooms or tourist centers. It commonly follows measure words like 一 (yī), as in 一张地图 (yī zhāng dìtú, 'a map'), since maps are flat, sheet-like objects. 地图 can also appear in compound terms like 交通地图 (jiāotōng dìtú, 'transportation map') or 世界地图 (shìjiè dìtú, 'world map').