交jiāo

交

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified and traditional are identical for 交 (jiāo, "to intersect"), its form unchanged since ancient times. The character depicts a person with crossed legs in the oracle bone script — a pictogram so intuitive that later scribes saw no need to alter it. Today it serves as a phonetic component in 饺 (jiaozi, dumpling), 胶 (jiao, glue) and 郊 (jiao, suburb), while its original meaning of crossing or connecting lives on in compounds like 交流 (jiāoliú, to exchange) and 交通 (jiāotōng, traffic).

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Shuowen

交 (jiāo). The character depicts a person with legs crossed at the knees, the upper portion representing the torso and arms while the two lower strokes form an X, capturing the image of intersecting or joining. This visual of crossed limbs became the basis for meanings related to crossing, meeting, and connecting—from paths crossing to social interactions. The crossed-leg figure perfectly embodies the concept of things coming together at a single point.

Pinyin

jiāo· HSK 2

交jiāo

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin