mix · associate

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 交 expresses crossing, interacting, or exchanging. 交わる is read まじわる, and 交える is まじえる.
• Basic usage: 道が交わる describes roads crossing; 世代が交わる describes different generations interacting.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Mixing something into speech
  • 冗談を交えて話す means to speak while mixing in jokes.
  • The object of 交える can be something nonphysical, such as jokes or words.
• Exchange and replacement
  • 交換 is read こうかん. 本を交換する can mean exchanging books, while 部品を交換する describes replacing a part with another.
  • 交換 is not always restricted to two people each handing over one object.