Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

net; network; a net

Chinese: 网、网络或网状物。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “wang” becomes a different word in each tone. 网 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 网上wǎng shàngonline
  • 上网shàng wǎngto go online; to connect to the Internet; (of a document etc) to be uploaded to the Internet; (tennis, volleyball etc) to move in close to the net
  • 网友wǎng yǒuonline friend; netizen; Internet user
  • 网站wǎng zhànwebsite
  • 网球wǎng qiútennis; tennis ball

Example Sentence

现在很多人喜欢在网上购物。Xiàn zài hěn duō rén xǐ huan zài wǎng shàng gòu wù.Many people now like to shop online.

现在Xiàn zàinowhěnveryduōmanyrénperson喜欢xǐ huanto likezàiat网上wǎng shàngonline购物gòu wùshopping

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

A pictograph of a net: a frame with the mesh criss-crossing inside. It means ‘net’ and now also ‘the internet’. Simplified from 網.

A way to remember it

A frame with crossed threads inside — a net.

Easy to confuse with

  • fēng‘Wind’: a similar outer frame, but with a swirl inside, not mesh.