交道 (jiāo dào) — contact; dealings (used almost exclusively in 打… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

交道 (jiāodao) is not used alone — it is part of the separable verb 打交道, meaning to have dealings or contact with someone (clients, partners, officials). It implies ongoing interaction, not a single encounter.

noun

contactdealings (used almost exclusively in 打交道)

Examples

交道，。
Wǒ gēn tā dǎ guò yí cì jiāo dào, rén hái bú cuò.
I've dealt with him once; he's not a bad person.
，。
Tā jīng cháng gēn kè hù dǎ jiāo dào, hěn yǒu jīng yàn.
He frequently deals with clients and is very experienced.
交道。
Wǒ men liǎng jiā gōng sī dǎ le hǎo jǐ nián jiāo dào le.
Our two companies have been dealing with each other for quite a few years.

Origin

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jiāointercourse

The 交 'intercourse' and 道 'way' combine to name dealings with others.

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.

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

行行xíngstreet

止止zhǐfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

𩠐

首shǒu道dào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Appears in

Friends & Social

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