罗网 (luówǎng): net

Measure Word

一张罗网 zhāng

罪犯最终落入了法律的罗网。

Zuìfàn zuìzhōng luòrù le fǎlǜ de luówǎng.

The criminal ultimately fell into the net of the law.

他感觉自己被一张无形的罗网困住了。

Tā gǎnjué zìjǐ bèi yìzhāng wúxíng de luówǎng kùn zhù le.

He felt trapped in an invisible snare.

usage

罗网 is mostly used figuratively in modern Chinese to mean a trap or web of constraints. The idiom 自投罗网 means 'to walk right into the trap'.

memory

罗 (net for catching birds) + 网 (net) = double net. Two nets are harder to escape — hence the meaning of 'inescapable trap'.

罗 luó

网 wǎng