Word
交際
Meaning in Englishsocial relationship, association, dating
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 交際 mean? It refers to being socially connected or in a relationship with someone, including dating, romantic involvement, or regular social interactions within a circle. In everyday Japanese, it covers romantic courtship as well as companionship or association with others.
Main meanings
- Romantic dating or a romantic relationship between two adults; often used in formal or neutral contexts rather than casual speech.
- General socializing, companionship, and maintaining relations within a circle of friends or colleagues; emphasizes ongoing interaction rather than a one-off date.
- Affiliations or connections with organizations, groups, or other entities; used in more formal or journalistic language to denote associations or links.
How to use it
Used in formal or neutral contexts to denote dating or social relations; paired with する to form 交際する, or with 交際中 to express being in a relationship. In casual speech, people prefer 付き合う for dating and relationship talk; 交際 is common in writing, news, and official communication to describe interpersonal relations or affiliations without slang.
Variants and close terms
- 付き合い (つきあい, tsukiai) — casual dating or socializing
- 親交 (しんこう, shinkō) — cordial friendship or close association, more formal
- 関係 (かんけい, kankei) — relationship or connection, broader
- 交流 (こうりゅう, kōryū) — exchange, interaction within a group
Composition
- 交: to intersect or mix; in kanji compounds, the on-reading is こう (kō), conveying interaction or exchange
- 際: occasion or juncture; on-reading さい (sai); together they imply an occasion for interaction, forming a social connection
- When combined as 交際, the characters express a relationship formed through social interaction at a moment or occasion
Word class
noun, suru-verb
Related words by kanji and components
N1
交互
kougo
mutual, reciprocal, alternate
N1
交渉
koushou
negotiation
N1
交付
koufu
delivering, furnishing (with copies)
N1
国交
kokkou
diplomatic relations
N1
交す
kawasu
to exchange
N1
手際
tegiwa
performance, skill, tact
N1
社交
shakou
social life
N1
交える
majieru
to mix, to converse with, to cross (swords)
N1
交わる
majiwaru
to cross, to intersect, to mingle with,