Meaning & readings

mingle, mixing, association, coming & going

On’yomi コウ
Kun’yomi まじ.わる、まじ.える、ま.じる、まじ.る、ま.ざる、ま.ぜる、-か.う、か.わす、かわ.す、こもごも
Nanori かた

Origin

This character most likely shows two things crossing or coming together. The top component represents something like a roof or covering, while the bottom resembles a figure or person. When these two elements are stacked and overlap in the character's shape, they create the visual idea of things meeting, mingling, or passing through each other. This picture of intersection or overlap led to the meaning of "mingle" and "coming and going" — the core sense of things meeting and mixing together.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).

6 strokes

Components

  • radical top
  • meaning part bottom

Common words

  • 外交 がいこう diplomacy
  • 交易 こうえき trade; commerce
  • 交換 こうかん exchange; interchange
  • 交互 こうご alternate; alternating
  • 交差 こうさ crossing; intersection
  • 交際 こうさい company; friendship
  • 交錯 こうさく mixture; blending
  • 交渉 こうしょう negotiations; bargaining

Reference

Strokes
6
Kangxi radical
8
Grade
Grade 2 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#178 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+04EA4