互联网

• Pinyin: hù lián wǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 互 = pictograph of interlocking shapes, meaning mutual; 联 = 耳 (ear) + 关 (joint), meaning connect; 网 = simplified pictograph of a net

Meaning

Internet. The global network connecting computers and devices for communication and information sharing.

The standard formal term for the internet in Chinese. In casual speech, 网络 (network) or simply 网 (net) are more common. 互联网 is frequently used in news, official documents, and discussions about technology and business.

Examples

1. 现在互联网越来越方便了。 Nowadays the internet is becoming more and more convenient.
2. 他在一家互联网公司工作。 He works at an internet company.
3. 通过互联网我们可以学到很多东西。 Through the internet we can learn many things.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, business, media

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 互联网改变了我们的生活。(The internet has changed our lives.)
• 这个地方没有互联网信号。(There is no internet signal in this place.)

Don't Say

• 我在互联网看了一个电影。(Don't say 在互联网 — use 在网上 for 'online.' Say 我在网上看了一个电影.)

Origin & History

Compound of 互 (mutual), 联 (connect, link), and 网 (net/network). A semantic translation of 'internet' — literally 'mutual-connection-net.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal