(jiāo tōng) - traffic, transportation in Mandarin
jiāotōngTraditional: 交通
Translation
traffic, transportation
Word origin
From 交 (jiāo, to cross, to intersect) and 通 (tōng, to pass through, to connect); together, the crossing and connecting of routes, extended to traffic and transport generally.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 交 (jiāo, to cross) + 通 (tōng, to pass through)
Stroke order
交
通
Examples
挤。
Traffic is very congested during rush hour.
。
This city's transportation is very convenient.
瘫痪。
Heavy rain caused traffic to grind to a halt.
善。
We need to improve public transport.
。
Traffic accidents are becoming fewer and fewer.
交通 (jiāotōng) is traffic or transportation, from 交 (jiāo, to cross, to intersect) and 通 (tōng, to pass through, to connect). The compound describes routes crossing and connecting, which covers both the vehicles moving and the system that carries them.
It covers a wide span: 交通拥挤 (jiāotōng yōngjǐ), congested traffic; 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù), a means of transport; 公共交通 (gōnggòng jiāotōng), public transport; 交通事故 (jiāotōng shìgù), a traffic accident. All of these keep 交通 (jiāotōng) as the head word.
An English speaker's first instinct is to reach for 车 (chē, vehicle, car) when they mean traffic in general, but 车 (chē) names the vehicles themselves. 交通 (jiāotōng) is the system: the roads, the rules and the flow, not any single car sitting in it.
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交通: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "交通" (traffic, transportation): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 99.