Japanese kanji 経: management, experience and passing time

The idea

経 has 11 strokes; use the linked diagram for their order. Read 経営（けいえい）, 経験（けいけん）, 経済（けいざい） and 経由（けいゆ） as complete words. In 経つ（たつ）, the reading changes and つ is okurigana.

Examples

• 姉あねは小ちいさなカフェを経営けいえいしています。My sister runs a small café.
• 彼かれには日本にほんで働はたらいた経験けいけんがあります。He has experience working in Japan.
• 大学だいがくで経済けいざいを勉強べんきょうしています。I study economics at university.
• 日本にほんに来きてから十年じゅうねんが経たちました。Ten years have passed since I came to Japan.
• この電車でんしゃは京都きょうとを経由けいゆします。This train goes via Kyoto.
• この店みせは三十年さんじゅうねん経営けいえいされています。The shop has been in business for thirty years.

Watch out

経営 means management, whereas 経験 means experience. Do not assume every 経 word means managing; 経つ describes elapsed time. Also distinguish 経 from the similar-looking 軽.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 経営 in hiragana.

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   けいえい

   経営 is けいえい: it means running or managing a business, as in the café example.

2. Write the reading of 経験 in hiragana.

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   けいけん

   経験 is けいけん: it means experience, such as having worked in Japan.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿済（けいざい）［経／軽］.

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   経

   経 completes 経済（けいざい）, economics or the economy; 軽 is a different character.

Use it today

Write 経 with the stroke diagram, then cover the table and read 経営 and 経験. Make a sentence about an experience.