交通

• Pinyin: jiāo tōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 交 (jiāo) — to cross, to intersect; 通 (tōng) — to pass through, to connect

Meaning

Traffic; transportation. The movement of vehicles and people, or the systems that enable travel.

Covers both the concept of traffic on roads (交通很堵 — traffic is jammed) and transportation systems in general (公共交通 — public transportation). Very common in urban life.

Examples

1. 今天的交通很堵。 The traffic is very congested today.
2. 这里的公共交通很方便。 The public transportation here is very convenient.
3. 上班的时候交通特别忙。 Traffic is especially busy during rush hour.

Usage Guide

Context: city life, travel, commuting

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 交通方便吗？(Is the transportation convenient?)
• 注意交通安全。(Pay attention to traffic safety.)

Don't Say

• 不要把交通和运输完全等同 (Don't treat 交通 and 运输 as identical — 交通 refers to general traffic and transportation, while 运输 specifically means freight transport or shipping)

Origin & History

Compound of 交 (to cross, to intersect) and 通 (to pass through, to connect). Literally the crossing and passing of paths — the movement of traffic.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal