交友 literally means 'to exchange friendship' — 交 (jiāo) means 'to make, to establish, or to interact with', and 友 (yǒu) means 'friend'. Together, they form a verb meaning 'to make friends' or 'to cultivate friendships'. It emphasizes the active, intentional process of forming new personal connections, often implying mutual effort and sincerity.

This word is commonly used in contexts related to social life, youth development, online platforms, and interpersonal skills training. While it can appear in formal writing (e.g., education policy documents about students’ social development), it’s also frequent in everyday speech — especially when discussing hobbies, language exchanges, or joining clubs. Unlike more casual terms like 认识朋友 (to get to know friends), 交友 carries a slightly more purposeful or goal-oriented nuance, sometimes suggesting long-term relationship building rather than just initial acquaintance.