The kanji 経 generally conveys the idea of "to pass through," "to manage," "to undergo," or "warp threads" (in weaving). It often relates to experience, time, or the process of something moving from one state to another. It can also refer to things that are fixed, like the warp threads in weaving, and also the scriptures. The various meanings stem from the core idea of something that endures or passes across a span.

・On-yomi (音読み): ケイ (kei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): へ(る) (heru), たて(いと) (tateito)

⚫︎ 経験 (けいけん) Translation: Experience ⚫︎ 経済 (けいざい) Translation: Economy ⚫︎ 経由 (けいゆ) Translation: Via; by way of

The kanji 経 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The semantic element is 糸 (ito), meaning "thread" or "silk." This indicates the original meaning of 経 was related to weaving. The phonetic element is 巠 (kei), which contributes the sound and possibly suggests the idea of "straight" or "through." The original meaning of 経is thought to be related to the warp threads in weaving, which run lengthwise through the loom. Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass the idea of "to pass through," or "to manage," which includes a range of other contexts such as experiencing time.