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Kotomora

交

mingle, mixing, association, coming & going

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 200Strokes6

Readings

On'yomi

  • コウ

Kun'yomi

  • まじ.わる
  • まじ.える
  • ま.じる
  • まじ.る
  • ま.ざる
  • ま.ぜる
  • -か.う
  • か.わす
  • かわ.す
  • こもごも

Nanori

  • かた

Meaning

交 centers on things crossing or interchanging: people mingling, ideas mixing, or traffic coming and going. The association sense is a natural extension of this crossing interaction.

Most common words using 交

24 of 672
  • 交換こうかん
    N3

    exchange; interchange; switching; reciprocity; barter; substitution; replacement; clearing (of checks, cheques)

  • 交通こうつう
    N5

    traffic; transportation

  • 交渉こうしょう
    N2

    negotiations; bargaining; discussions; talks

  • 交流こうりゅう
    N2

    exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction; mingling; mixing; coming together

  • 外交がいこう
    N3

    diplomacy

  • 交代こうたい
    N2

    change; alternation; rotation; replacement; substitution; shift; relief; taking turns

  • 交際こうさい
    N3

    company; friendship; association; society; acquaintance

  • 交差点こうさてん
    N5

    crossing; intersection

  • 交わすかわす
    N2

    to exchange (messages, greetings, arguments, etc.)

  • 交付こうふ
    N1

    delivery; issuance; handing over; granting

  • 社交しゃこう
    N1

    social life; social intercourse

  • 性交せいこう

    sexual intercourse; sex; coitus

  • 交えるまじえる
    N1

    to mix; to combine; to include

  • 交互こうご
    N1

    alternate; alternating

  • 国交こっこう
    N1

    diplomatic relations

  • 交差こうさ
    N2

    crossing; intersection

  • 交戦こうせん

    war; battle; hostilities

  • 交番こうばん
    N5

    police box; koban; small neighborhood police station

  • 交信こうしん

    telecommunications; correspondence

  • 交わるまじわる
    N1

    to cross; to intersect; to join; to meet

  • 交易こうえき
    N1

    trade; commerce

  • 交友こうゆう

    friend; companion; acquaintance

  • 飛び交うとびかう

    to fly about; to flutter about; to flit about; to fly past each other

  • 親交しんこう
    N1

    intimacy; friendship; friendly relations

Explore all words using 交 →

Study

Etymology

交 is a pictograph of a person with crossed legs, representing the idea of crossing or interchange. The modern form retains the crossed-stroke silhouette.

Meaning mnemonic

The top lid 亠 and the crossed legs of 父 combine to show two things crossing over each other, like people mingling or paths intersecting.

Reading mnemonic

For コウ, imagine a busy intersection where cars cross and mingle, and a traffic cop (コウ) directs the coming and going: cop -> コウ.