交朋友

• Pinyin: jiāo péng you
• Hanzi breakdown: 交 (jiāo) — to make, to connect; 朋 (péng) — friend; 友 (you) — friend, companion

Meaning

To make friends. The act of forming friendships with people.

A verb-object construction combining 交 (to make, to form connections) with 朋友 (friend). Used when talking about meeting new people and building friendships.

Examples

1. 他很喜欢交朋友。 He really likes making friends.
2. 在学校可以交到很多朋友。 You can make many friends at school.
3. 我想和你交朋友。 I want to be friends with you.

Usage Guide

Context: social, school, everyday

Tone: friendly

Do Say

• 我们交个朋友吧。(Let's be friends.)
• 她很容易交到朋友。(She makes friends easily.)

Don't Say

• 不要对陌生人突然说'我想跟你交朋友' (Don't suddenly tell a stranger 我想跟你交朋友 — it can sound too forward; start with casual conversation first)

Origin & History

Compound of 交 (to cross, to connect, to make) and 朋友 (friend). The verb 交 here means to form connections or relationships.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal