交纳
jiāo nà · HSK 7
to pay (taxes or dues)
💰 交纳 = 交 hand over + 纳 pay in; you hand over money the state takes in
交 means to hand over or submit; 纳 means to take in or pay in. Together they name the act of handing over money that an authority receives — taxes, fees, or dues.
交 — top 亠 + 父-like crossed legs
Originally a pictograph of a person standing with legs crossed, showing the idea of crossing or intersecting. From this concrete image, the meaning extended to abstract senses like 'exchange,' 'interact,' and 'hand over.' Modern uses such as 交流 (exchange) and 交通 (traffic) all trace back to this core notion of crossing.