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交通 (jiāo tōng) — traffic; transportation; communications (networks for moving people, goods, or information)

Definition

At HSK 4, 交通 means the everyday 'traffic / transportation' system (roads, buses, getting around a city) — the learner-facing sense, not the older 'communications' sense.

noun
traffictransportationcommunications (networks for moving people, goods, or information)

Examples

  • 交通。
    Zhè lǐ de jiāo tōng hěn dǔ.
    The traffic here is very congested.
  • 交通。
    Zhè ge chéng shì de jiāo tōng hěn fāng biàn.
    Transportation in this city is very convenient.
  • 交通。
    Zhè ge chéng shì de jiāo tōng wǎng luò hěn fā dá.
    The transportation network in this city is well-developed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

交jiāocross
通tōngpass

交通 pairs 交 for crossing or connecting with 通 for passage, naming movement along routes.

Characters in this word

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.

Open 交 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →
Appears in
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