天罗地网 (tiān luó dì wǎng) — tight encirclement; a net spread from all sides; inescapable trap

Definition

Literary idiom for an inescapable trap — a net spread across the sky and earth. Used for tight military or police encirclements, not for casual situations.

idiom
tight encirclementa net spread from all sidesinescapable trap

Examples

  • 天罗地网，。
    Jǐng fāng bù xià le tiān luó dì wǎng, zuì fàn chā chì nán táo.
    The police set up a tight encirclement, and the criminal couldn't escape even if he grew wings.
  • 天罗地网。
    Dí rén xiàn rù le wǒ men de tiān luó dì wǎng zhī zhōng.
    The enemy fell into our inescapable trap.
  • 天罗地网。
    Zhè ge chéng shì bèi tiān luó dì wǎng bān de jiān kòng fù gài.
    This city is covered by surveillance as tight as a net.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

天罗net from heaven
天tiānheaven罗luónet
偏正Modifier + head
地网net on earth
地dìearth网wǎngnet
偏正Modifier + head

Heavenly 天罗 and earthly 地网 together suggest a net closing from above and below.

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 羅; 罗 is its simplified writing.

  • 网网wǎngnet
  • 維維wéibird (tied with string)

The traditional form 羅 combines 网 (net) with 維 (a bird tied with string) to show a net for catching birds; the simplified 罗 is a later abbreviation.

Open 罗 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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
罔wǎng網wǎng
Same sound today

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

Open 网 →

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