How to Write 网 (wǎng) — Meaning “Net / Internet”

Imagine the character as a simple drawing of a tennis racket with cross strings – 网 looks just like the net part of the racket. Since 网 also means 'internet' in modern Chinese, you can picture the web connecting two rackets.

Write 网 in 6 strokes: an outer frame (first draw the left vertical, then the top horizontal and right vertical as one stroke, then the bottom horizontal), then two inner diagonals crossing to form an X. A common mistake is making the inner X too small or unequal, so keep the X centered and balanced inside the frame.

网 is a complete character meaning 'net' or 'internet', while ⺳ is only a radical component (often called the 'net radical') that appears inside other characters like 罗 (to net). Visually, ⺳ is usually thinner and lacks the bottom horizontal stroke of 网, so it looks like an open frame with two small hooks inside.

网 is extremely common in daily life, especially for internet-related words like 上网 (to go online) and 网络 (network). It also appears in sports terms such as 网球 (tennis). Culturally, the character is so iconic that many Chinese people use it as a quick symbol for Wi-Fi or the web.

Common words containing 网 include: 上网 (shàng wǎng) — To surf the internet; 网络 (wǎng luò) — Network / Internet; 网球 (wǎng qiú) — Tennis.