网友

• Pinyin: wǎng yǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 网 = pictograph of a net; 友 = two hands clasped in friendship

Meaning

Internet friend; online friend. A friend met or known through the internet.

A very common modern term. Refers to people you interact with online but may not have met in person. Meeting a 网友 in real life (often called 见面 or 面基) is a significant step. The term can also refer to general internet users in news contexts.

Examples

1. 我有一个网友住在上海。 I have an online friend who lives in Shanghai.
2. 他和网友见面了。 He met his online friend in person.
3. 她的网友来自很多国家。 Her online friends come from many countries.

Usage Guide

Context: internet, social

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我跟网友聊天。(I chat with online friends.)
• 这是我的一个网友。(This is an online friend of mine.)

Don't Say

• 他是我的网上的朋友。(Wordy — simply say 他是我的网友; 网友 is the natural, concise term for online friends)

Origin & History

A compound of 网 (net/web) and 友 (friend), literally meaning 'net friend' — coined with the rise of internet culture in China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal