交易 (jiāo yì) means 'transaction' or 'deal' — an exchange of goods, services, or money between two or more parties. The character 交 (jiāo) means 'to hand over', 'to deliver', or 'to interact', while 易 (yì) means 'to change', 'to exchange', or 'to swap'. Together, they form a compound noun emphasizing mutual exchange, especially in commercial or formal contexts. It’s commonly used in business, finance, e-commerce, and legal settings.

This word is neutral in register but leans formal; it’s rarely used for casual, personal exchanges like borrowing a pen. You’ll see it in phrases like 交易成功 (jiāo yì chénggōng, 'transaction successful'), 网上交易 (wǎngshàng jiāo yì, 'online transaction'), or 交易记录 (jiāo yì jìlù, 'transaction record'). It can refer to both tangible exchanges (e.g., buying a phone) and intangible ones (e.g., licensing software).