The word 上网 is formed by combining two characters: 上 (shàng), which means "to go up" or "to ascend", and 网 (wǎng), which means "net". The term is a conceptual metaphor where the "net" represents the interconnected network (the internet), and "going up" onto it visually and conceptually describes the action of accessing or entering that digital space. It creates a direct, imagery-based compound meaning "to get on the net".