相交 (xiāng jiāo) — (of lines, planes, etc.) to intersect; (formal)…

Definition

In math, 相交 means lines or planes intersect (meet at a point). In formal writing it also means to be friends with — a literary alternative to 交朋友.

verb

(of lines, planes, etc.) to intersect(formal) to make friendsto have a friendly relationship (with someone)

。
Liǎng tiáo zhí xiàn zài zhè yí gè diǎn shàng xiāng jiāo.
The two straight lines intersect at this point.
，相交。
Tā xìng gé gū pì, hěn shǎo yǔ rén xiāng jiāo.
He is withdrawn and rarely makes friends with others.
相交。
Tā men liǎng jiā shì dài xiāng jiāo.
The two families have been friends for generations.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

交jiāocross/associate

The sense of 相 as mutually joins with 交 as cross or associate to mean lines crossing or people becoming friends.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

木目相

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Appears in