red
nounCEFR B2
What does “red” mean in English?
network — a system of interconnected elements; a social or professional network
network — a system of interconnected elements; a social or professional network (red de contactos; red social)
Example sentences
Construir una red de contactos sólida es fundamental para el desarrollo profesional en cualquier sector.
Building a solid professional network is fundamental for career development in any sector.
El acceso a las redes sociales está regulado de forma diferente en distintos países.
Access to social networks is regulated differently in different countries.
La red ferroviaria de alta velocidad española es una de las más extensas de Europa.
Spain's high-speed rail network is one of the most extensive in Europe.
How to use it
La red (noun, feminine) means 'network' or 'web' — a system of interconnected elements, or a social/professional network. Key collocations: red de contactos (professional network); red social (social network/media); red de distribución; red ferroviaria; navegar por la red (to browse the internet); la Red (the internet, capitalised). Distinguish from sistema (system — more structured) and plataforma (platform — digital). Red social is the standard term for social media in Spanish.
Common mistake
Red social = social network/social media (not *media social). La Red (capitalised) = the internet. En red = networked/online. Red de contactos = professional network (LinkedIn-style). Red also means 'net' (fishing net, sports net) — context disambiguates. Navegar por la red = to browse the internet.