罒

wǎngzìtóu

radical variant

Meanings

1 net on top radical (variant of 网)
2 top form of the net radical, Kangxi #122

Tips

usage

罒 is the standard, by far the more common, top form of the net radical 网. It looks like a flattened rectangle with two short vertical strokes inside (the mesh). Easy to confuse with 四 (four), which has 儿 inside the frame instead. Compare with the rare variant 罓, which has a single internal stroke. Never written alone.

history

罒 is the calligraphic compression of 网, a pictograph of a knotted hunting net stretched between two poles. In top-position the outer frame and inner crosshatching simplify to a rectangle with two short verticals representing the mesh threads.

usage

Net/coverage cue: 罗 (gauze net), 罪 (crime - caught in a net), 罢 (cease), 置 (place), 罚 (punish), 罩 (cover/shade).

Radical

Net Kangxi #122

Productive - but inside compounds it almost never keeps the full 网 shape. The flattened top variant 罒 (网字头, 'horizontal eye') drives the everyday characters: 罗 (gauze), 罚 (punish), 罪 (crime), 置 (place), 署 (office), 罢 (cease). The shorter 罓 variant survives in a handful of forms. Strong meaning clue: trapping, snaring, cataloguing, regulating.

Forms

网 wǎng

Default 1 characters

罓 wǎng

Top 0 characters

罒 wǎngzìtóu

Top 12 characters

Used in

View all 12 →

Showing 6 of 12 · top form 罒 of 网

罪 zuì

crime; offense; sin · guilt; blame; fault

罗 luó

to collect · to gather

啰 lo

sentence-final particle indicating obviousness or a reminder · softer-toned variant of 了

啰 luō

to be long-winded; to talk on and on · (in transliteration) lo / ло, as in greetings

罚 fá

to punish; to penalize · to fine (monetary penalty)

置 zhì

to place; to install · to purchase; to set up

Stroke Order