交こう際さい

こ

う

さ

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

交際する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	交こう際さいする	交こう際さいしない
Polite	交こう際さいします	交こう際さいしません
Past polite	交こう際さいしました	交こう際さいしませんでした
Past	交こう際さいした	交こう際さいしなかった
Te-form	交こう際さいして	交こう際さいしないで
Desire	交こう際さいしたい	交こう際さいしたくない
Potential	交こう際さいできる	交こう際さいできない
Passive	交こう際さいされる	交こう際さいされない
Causative	交こう際さいさせる	交こう際さいさせない
Causative passive	交こう際さいさせられる	交こう際さいさせられない
Volitional	交こう際さいしよう
Polite volitional	交こう際さいしましょう
Imperative	交こう際さいしろ	交こう際さいするな
Conditional	交こう際さいすれば	交こう際さいしなければ
Tara conditional	交こう際さいしたら	交こう際さいしなかったら

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

socializing; association; company

General term for social interaction, keeping company, or being acquainted with someone. Can refer to friendships, business relationships, or social circles.

彼かれは仕し事ごと以い外がいではあまり交こう際さいしない。
He doesn't socialize much outside of work.
近きん所じょとの交こう際さいを大たい切せつにしている。
I value my relationships with the neighbors.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

dating; romantic involvement

Specifically refers to romantic dating or being in a relationship. Often used in phrases like 交際を申し込む (to ask someone out) or 交際相手 (romantic partner).

彼かの女じょと交こう際さいを始はじめてから、もう三さん年ねんになる。
It's been three years since I started dating her.
交こう際さい相あい手てがいるかどうか聞きいてみた。
I asked if they were seeing someone.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と交こう際さいするto date/go out with someone
彼かの女じょとは半はん年とし前まえから交こう際さいしている。
I've been dating her for six months.
交こう際さいを申もうし込こむto ask someone to be your boyfriend/girlfriend
彼かれは彼かの女じょに交こう際さいを申もうし込こんだ。
He asked her to go out with him.
交こう際さいを始はじめるto start dating someone
二人ふたりは先せん月げつから交こう際さいを始はじめた。
The two started dating last month.
交こう際さいを続つづけるto continue a relationship
遠えん距きょ離りでも交こう際さいを続つづけている。
They continue their relationship even though it's long-distance.
〈人ひと〉と交こう際さいがあるto have social relations/connections with someone
彼かれはいろいろな業ぎょう界かいの人ひとと交こう際さいがある。
He has connections with people in various industries.

Kanji

交mingle, mixing, association
際occasion, side, edge

Related words· 10

付つき合あいN3
付き合い is a casual, everyday word covering both friendly and romantic relationships, while 交際 sounds more formal and is often used in official or romantic contexts.
交こう流りゅうN2sense 1
交流 emphasizes exchange or interaction between groups, cultures, or ideas, while 交際 focuses on personal, ongoing relationships between individuals.
恋れん愛あいN2sense 2
恋愛 refers to the feeling of romantic love itself, while 交際 refers to the act or state of dating someone.
往おう来らい
交際 is the common word for socializing or maintaining a relationship, while 往来 in this sense is formal and stresses mutual visiting.

Show 6 more

社しゃ交こうN1
交際 usually implies a closer personal relationship, such as dating, while 社交 refers more broadly to general social activity.
交こう友ゆう
交際 means socializing or association and can also imply romantic dating, while 交友 focuses narrowly on friendship.
付つき合あうN3
交際する is more formal than 付き合う and usually implies a serious, often long-term romantic relationship, while 付き合う is the everyday word covering both friendships and dating.
交こう
交際 is a common standalone word for social interaction or dating, while 交 is the root kanji used only as a building block in such compounds, not on its own.
間あいだ柄がらN1
交際 specifically means dating or ongoing social association between people, whereas 間柄 is a neutral term for the type of relationship, not limited to romance.
交こう通つうN5
交際 is the common modern word for socializing or dating, while 交通 used for 'intercourse' is rare, formal, and largely archaic.

Opposites

絶ぜっ交こうN1sense 1
絶交 means to cut off a relationship entirely, the opposite of 交際, which means maintaining social or personal ties.

Don't confuse with

デートN4sense 2
デート refers to a single date or outing with a romantic partner, while 交際 refers to the ongoing relationship or the fact of dating someone.
交こう信しん
交信 (exchanging signals/messages, e.g. by radio) and 交際 (having a social or romantic relationship with someone) share the kanji 交 but refer to completely different things.
際さいする
交際する shares the kanji 際 with 際する but means 'to socialize/date someone', a completely different meaning from 際する's 'to occur at the time of'.

Word family· 21

交こう際さい費ひN3
entertainment expenses
交こう際さい上じょう
as a matter of social courtesy; for social reasons
交こう際さい中ちゅう
in a relationship; dating
交こう際さい国こく
friendly powers; treaty powers
交こう際さい官かん
diplomat

Show 5 more

交こう際さい家か
sociable person; social butterfly
交こう際さい法ほう
etiquette; social code
交こう際さい術じゅつ
social skills; art of socializing
交こう際さい上手じょうず
good at socializing; sociable; a good mixer
交こう際さい下手べた
bad at socializing; poor social skills

See all 21 in Explore →

Etymology

Compound of 交 (interchange, mixing) and 際 (occasion, contact), referring to mutual contact and association. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination has been used to mean social intercourse since at least the Meiji period.

交こう際さい

こ

う

さ

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

交際する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	交こう際さいする	交こう際さいしない
Polite	交こう際さいします	交こう際さいしません
Past polite	交こう際さいしました	交こう際さいしませんでした
Past	交こう際さいした	交こう際さいしなかった
Te-form	交こう際さいして	交こう際さいしないで
Desire	交こう際さいしたい	交こう際さいしたくない
Potential	交こう際さいできる	交こう際さいできない
Passive	交こう際さいされる	交こう際さいされない
Causative	交こう際さいさせる	交こう際さいさせない
Causative passive	交こう際さいさせられる	交こう際さいさせられない
Volitional	交こう際さいしよう
Polite volitional	交こう際さいしましょう
Imperative	交こう際さいしろ	交こう際さいするな
Conditional	交こう際さいすれば	交こう際さいしなければ
Tara conditional	交こう際さいしたら	交こう際さいしなかったら

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

socializing; association; company

General term for social interaction, keeping company, or being acquainted with someone. Can refer to friendships, business relationships, or social circles.

彼かれは仕し事ごと以い外がいではあまり交こう際さいしない。
He doesn't socialize much outside of work.
近きん所じょとの交こう際さいを大たい切せつにしている。
I value my relationships with the neighbors.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

dating; romantic involvement

Specifically refers to romantic dating or being in a relationship. Often used in phrases like 交際を申し込む (to ask someone out) or 交際相手 (romantic partner).

彼かの女じょと交こう際さいを始はじめてから、もう三さん年ねんになる。
It's been three years since I started dating her.
交こう際さい相あい手てがいるかどうか聞きいてみた。
I asked if they were seeing someone.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と交こう際さいするto date/go out with someone
彼かの女じょとは半はん年とし前まえから交こう際さいしている。
I've been dating her for six months.
交こう際さいを申もうし込こむto ask someone to be your boyfriend/girlfriend
彼かれは彼かの女じょに交こう際さいを申もうし込こんだ。
He asked her to go out with him.
交こう際さいを始はじめるto start dating someone
二人ふたりは先せん月げつから交こう際さいを始はじめた。
The two started dating last month.
交こう際さいを続つづけるto continue a relationship
遠えん距きょ離りでも交こう際さいを続つづけている。
They continue their relationship even though it's long-distance.
〈人ひと〉と交こう際さいがあるto have social relations/connections with someone
彼かれはいろいろな業ぎょう界かいの人ひとと交こう際さいがある。
He has connections with people in various industries.

Kanji

交mingle, mixing, association
際occasion, side, edge

Related words· 10

付つき合あいN3
付き合い is a casual, everyday word covering both friendly and romantic relationships, while 交際 sounds more formal and is often used in official or romantic contexts.
交こう流りゅうN2sense 1
交流 emphasizes exchange or interaction between groups, cultures, or ideas, while 交際 focuses on personal, ongoing relationships between individuals.
恋れん愛あいN2sense 2
恋愛 refers to the feeling of romantic love itself, while 交際 refers to the act or state of dating someone.
往おう来らい
交際 is the common word for socializing or maintaining a relationship, while 往来 in this sense is formal and stresses mutual visiting.

Show 6 more

社しゃ交こうN1
交際 usually implies a closer personal relationship, such as dating, while 社交 refers more broadly to general social activity.
交こう友ゆう
交際 means socializing or association and can also imply romantic dating, while 交友 focuses narrowly on friendship.
付つき合あうN3
交際する is more formal than 付き合う and usually implies a serious, often long-term romantic relationship, while 付き合う is the everyday word covering both friendships and dating.
交こう
交際 is a common standalone word for social interaction or dating, while 交 is the root kanji used only as a building block in such compounds, not on its own.
間あいだ柄がらN1
交際 specifically means dating or ongoing social association between people, whereas 間柄 is a neutral term for the type of relationship, not limited to romance.
交こう通つうN5
交際 is the common modern word for socializing or dating, while 交通 used for 'intercourse' is rare, formal, and largely archaic.

Opposites

絶ぜっ交こうN1sense 1
絶交 means to cut off a relationship entirely, the opposite of 交際, which means maintaining social or personal ties.

Don't confuse with

デートN4sense 2
デート refers to a single date or outing with a romantic partner, while 交際 refers to the ongoing relationship or the fact of dating someone.
交こう信しん
交信 (exchanging signals/messages, e.g. by radio) and 交際 (having a social or romantic relationship with someone) share the kanji 交 but refer to completely different things.
際さいする
交際する shares the kanji 際 with 際する but means 'to socialize/date someone', a completely different meaning from 際する's 'to occur at the time of'.

Word family· 21

交こう際さい費ひN3
entertainment expenses
交こう際さい上じょう
as a matter of social courtesy; for social reasons
交こう際さい中ちゅう
in a relationship; dating
交こう際さい国こく
friendly powers; treaty powers
交こう際さい官かん
diplomat

Show 5 more

交こう際さい家か
sociable person; social butterfly
交こう際さい法ほう
etiquette; social code
交こう際さい術じゅつ
social skills; art of socializing
交こう際さい上手じょうず
good at socializing; sociable; a good mixer
交こう際さい下手べた
bad at socializing; poor social skills

See all 21 in Explore →