交 meaning and stroke order
To hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn over; to make friends; (of lines) to intersect
How to write 交, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 交
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn over
- to make friends
- (of lines) to intersect
- variant of 跤[jiao1]
How 交 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person with crossed (intersecting) legs.
Radical: 亠 (lid), shared by 18 characters on this site.
How to remember 交
The etymology shows a person with crossed legs. The bottom part 乂 looks like an X, so picture two lines crossing, which is why 交 (jiāo) means to intersect, connect, and pass things from one hand to another.
交 is most often used as a verb meaning to hand over or submit something, such as homework, money, or documents. It also appears in many words about connection and exchange, like 交通 (jiāotōng, traffic), 交流 (jiāoliú, to exchange), and 交朋友 (jiāo péngyou, to make friends). Example: 请把作业交给老师。(Qǐng bǎ zuòyè jiāo gěi lǎoshī.) Please hand your homework to the teacher.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 交 with 文 (wén, writing), because both have a 亠 top and crossing strokes at the bottom. 交 has two extra dots under the horizontal stroke, like the top of 六. Also, 交 is first tone (jiāo), so do not mix it up with 教 (jiāo or jiào, to teach), which sounds similar but means something different.
Common words with 交
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 交给 | jiāo gěi | to give; to deliver; to hand over | HSK 2 |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | to be connected; traffic | HSK 2 |
| 交朋友 | jiāo péngyou | to make friends; (dialect) to start an affair with sb | HSK 2 |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | public transport vehicle; town bus | HSK 2 |
| 交易 | jiāoyì | to deal; to trade; to transact; transaction; deal | HSK 3 |
| 交流 | jiāoliú | to exchange; exchange | HSK 3 |
| 交往 | jiāowǎng | to associate (with); to have contact (with) | HSK 3 |
| 外交 | wàijiāo | diplomacy; diplomatic | HSK 3 |
| 交警 | jiāojǐng | traffic police (abbr. for 交通警察[jiao1 tong1 jing3 cha2]) | HSK 3 |
| 交费 | jiāofèi | to pay a fee | HSK 3 |
| 交换 | jiāohuàn | to exchange; to swap | HSK 4 |
| 外交官 | wàijiāoguān | diplomat | HSK 4 |
| 交际 | jiāojì | communication; social intercourse | HSK 4 |
| 成交 | chéngjiāo | to complete a contract; to reach a deal | HSK 5 |
交 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 交
Learning 交 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 交
How many strokes are in 交?
交 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 交 mean?
交 (jiāo) means to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn over; to make friends; (of lines) to intersect. A common word with it is 交给 (jiāo gěi), meaning "to give; to deliver; to hand over".
How do you pronounce 交?
交 is pronounced jiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 交?
The radical of 交 is 亠, which carries the idea of "lid". Dictionaries list 交 under this radical.
Is 交 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 交 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say to pay a fee with 交?
Use 交 plus the money or fee, as in 交钱 (jiāo qián, to pay money) or 交学费 (jiāo xuéfèi, to pay tuition). It is common for bills, fees, and rent, while 付 (fù) is more general for paying at a shop.
What is the difference between 交朋友 and 交往?
交朋友 (jiāo péngyou) simply means to make friends. 交往 (jiāowǎng) means to associate or have contact with someone, and in daily speech it often means to be dating, as in 他们在交往 (tāmen zài jiāowǎng, they are seeing each other).