拖网 (tuō wǎng) — dragnet, trawl net (used in fishing or metaphor…

Definition

noun

dragnettrawl net (used in fishing or metaphorically for police searches)

Measure word · 张

拖网。
Yú mín shǐ yòng tuō wǎng bǔ lāo shēn hǎi yú lèi.
Fishermen use trawl nets to catch deep-sea fish.
拖网。
Jǐng fāng zhǎn kāi tuō wǎng zhuā bǔ fàn zuì xián yí rén.
The police launched a dragnet to arrest the criminal suspects.
拖网。
Zhè zhǒng tuō wǎng kě yǐ bǔ zhuō dà liàng de yú.
This type of trawl net can catch large quantities of fish.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

拖 suggests dragging, 网 is a net, and the image is a net pulled through water to catch fish.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā拖tuō

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 網; 网 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

罔

Same sound today

The traditional form 網 pairs 糸 (rope) with 罔 to give the sound; the simplified 网 is a later shorthand.