交易

• Pinyin: jiāo yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 交 = pictograph of crossed legs, meaning to cross or exchange; 易 = originally a pictograph of a lizard (chameleon), meaning to change or easy

Meaning

Trade; transaction; deal. A commercial exchange of goods, services, or money between parties.

Used for both large-scale business transactions and everyday buying and selling. Covers stock trades, online purchases, property deals, and any commercial exchange. More formal than 买卖 and often used in financial or business contexts.

Examples

1. 这笔交易对双方都有好处。 This deal is beneficial to both sides.
2. 网上交易现在越来越方便了。 Online transactions are becoming more and more convenient.
3. 他们完成了一笔很大的交易。 They completed a very large deal.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, commerce, everyday

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 这次交易非常顺利。(This transaction went very smoothly.)
• 在网上交易要注意安全。(Be careful about security when trading online.)

Don't Say

• 我跟朋友做了一个感情的交易。(Don't use 交易 for emotional or personal exchanges — it implies a commercial deal. For sharing feelings, use 交流 or 沟通.)

Origin & History

Compound of 交 (to exchange, to hand over) and 易 (to change, to trade), both characters independently carrying the meaning of exchange, reinforcing the concept of commercial transaction.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal