交 — “to mix / to cross” in Japanese

Grade 2こう, ま, か

Radical ⼇ · radical 8 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to mix / to cross” in Japanese is 交, read kou, ma, ka (こう, ま, か). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 交通 (traffic).

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What does 交 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	交
Meaning	to mix / to cross
Readings	こう, ま, か
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	交通 (traffic)

How to read 交

交 is read kou (こう) or ma (ま) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 交

交通こうつう
交番こうばん
交通機関こうつうきかん
交通事故こうつうじこ
交流
交渉
交換

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Kanji read the same way as 交

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28