The word 交朋友 is formed by combining the verb 交, meaning "to associate" or "to make", with the noun 朋友, meaning "friends". 朋友 itself consists of two characters, 朋 and 友, both conveying the idea of "friend" and together reinforcing the concept. Thus, 交朋友 literally means "to make friends", with 交 indicating the action and 朋友 serving as the object.