交

jiāo

mix; intersect; exchange; communicate; deliver

Meaning

Spatial/Physical: Intersection (where paths, rivers, or limbs cross); interweaving or layering, typically implying a structural crossing rather than a homogenous blend.
Social/Relational: Interaction and the establishment of relationships (e.g., friendship), including biological mating/intercourse; in early texts, this often refers to the act of social interaction as a bridge rather than the specific exchange of information.
Transactional: Reciprocal exchange (trade) or unidirectional delivery and transfer of custody (handing over an object, message, or tribute).

Verb (Transitive): To exchange; to deliver or hand over.
Verb (Intransitive/Stative): To intersect; to be mixed or interwoven.
Modifier: When preceding a noun, describes a relationship as mutual, intersecting, or intertwined.

Exchange vs. Delivery: The glyph covers both reciprocal trade and unilateral handover; the distinction depends on whether the context implies a trade or a duty/transfer of custody.
交 vs. 換: While both can mean "exchange," 換 typically denotes substitution (replacing one thing with another), whereas 交 emphasizes the encounter or the transactional event itself.

Diachronic Shift: In very early texts, usage leans toward the physical image of crossing and meeting; in later texts, the glyph more frequently refers to abstract communication or systemic interaction.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.