交通 jiāotōng — traffic, transportation
jiāotōng (first tone, high and level)jiao1tong1
traffic, transportation
HSK 4· HSK 1–4 (classic)noun
Meanings
traffic, transportation
交, to cross paths, and 通, to pass through — the whole system of roads, vehicles and rules that lets a city move. It names the system, never a single ride: what you take to the office is 车, never 交通 itself.
noun
Example sentences
- 这个城市的交通很方便。這個城市的交通很方便。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) jiāotōng (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) fāngbiàn. (first tone, high and level)···
Transportation in this city is very convenient.
- 下雨的时候，这条路上的交通特别不好。下雨的時候，這條路上的交通特別不好。Xià (fourth tone, falling) yǔ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) zhè (fourth tone, falling) tiáo (second tone, rising) lù (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone) de (neutral tone) jiāotōng (first tone, high and level) tèbié (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)···
When it rains, the traffic on this road is especially bad.
Common mistakes
Not quite他每天坐交通去公司。
Correct他每天坐车去公司。
交通 is the whole system — roads, vehicles, rules — never a single vehicle. What one rides is 车, 公共汽车 or 地铁; nobody boards "traffic" itself.