经 meaning and stroke order
Classics; sacred book; scripture
How to write 经, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 经
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- classics
- sacred book
- scripture
- to pass through
- to undergo
- to bear
How 经 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 工 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 经
经 has the silk radical 纟 (thread) on the left and 工 (gōng) at the bottom right as the sound hint. Picture threads stretched tight on a loom, running all the way through, like an experience you pass through from start to finish.
经 rarely appears alone in modern speech. It mostly shows up in common words like 已经 (yǐjīng, already), 经常 (jīngcháng, often), and 经济 (jīngjì, economy). Example: 我已经吃饭了。(Wǒ yǐjīng chī fàn le.) I have already eaten.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 经 with 轻 (qīng, light), which has the same right side but uses 车 instead of 纟. Also remember 经 is first tone (jīng), not the third tone of 井 (jǐng, well).
Common words with 经
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already | HSK 2 |
| 经常 | jīngcháng | frequently; constantly; regularly; often; day-to-day; everyday; daily | HSK 2 |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass; to go through | HSK 2 |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager; director | HSK 2 |
| 曾经 | céngjīng | once; already | HSK 3 |
| 经历 | jīnglì | to experience; to go through; experience (CL:段[duan4],次[ci4]) | HSK 3 |
| 经验 | jīngyàn | experience; to go through; to experience | HSK 3 |
| 经济 | jīngjì | economy; economic | HSK 3 |
| 经营 | jīngyíng | to engage in (business etc); to run; to operate | HSK 3 |
| 经典 | jīngdiǎn | the classics; scriptures | HSK 4 |
| 神经 | shénjīng | nerve; mental state | HSK 5 |
| 经费 | jīngfèi | funds; expenditure | HSK 5 |
| 总经理 | zǒngjīnglǐ | general manager; CEO | HSK 6 |
| 未经 | wèijīng | not having undergone; without (having gone though a certain process) | HSK 7-9 |
经 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 经
How many strokes are in 经?
经 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 经 mean?
经 (jīng) means classics; sacred book; scripture. A common word with it is 已经 (yǐjīng), meaning "already".
How do you pronounce 经?
经 is pronounced jīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 经?
The radical of 经 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 经 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 经?
The traditional form of 经 is 經. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 经 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 经 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 经 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 经历 and 经验?
经历 (jīnglì) is the things you went through, the events themselves. 经验 (jīngyàn) is the know-how or skill you gained from them. You might say 他工作经验很多 (he has a lot of work experience) but 那是一段难忘的经历 (that was an unforgettable experience).
Why does 经 mean both classics and to go through?
The thread radical 纟 points to threads that run through something. From that idea of passing through come the senses to pass through and to undergo, and the classics are texts that serve as lasting guiding lines, as in 圣经 (Shèngjīng, the Bible).