经济
economy; economical
HSK level
- Pinyin
- jīngjì
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 5
- Strokes
- 17
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 经济
经济 is written with 17 strokes (经: 8, 济: 9). The animation replays automatically.
What does 经济 mean?
经济 (jīngjì) primarily means "economy" — the system of production, trade, and money of a country or region: 中国经济 (China's economy), 经济发展 (economic development), 经济危机 (economic crisis).
As an adjective it also means "economical" in the sense of thrifty or cost-saving: 经济舱 (economy class), 经济实惠 (affordable and good value). The word comes from the classical phrase 经世济民, "to govern the world and relieve the people," which is why it carries a weightier, more systemic feel than English "economy."
The characters are 经 (to manage / pass through) and 济 (to aid / cross a river). Distinguish it from 经历 (jīnglì), "experience / to go through," and from 经营 (jīngyíng), "to run or operate a business" — all three share 经 but mean different things.
Note: Neutral; central to news, business, and academic writing.
Character by character
Memory hook: From 经世济民 — to "manage the world and aid the people" — comes 经济, the economy.
Example sentences
今年的经济增长比去年快。
Jīnnián de jīngjì zēngzhǎng bǐ qùnián kuài.
This year's economic growth is faster than last year's.
written
这场比赛对当地经济很重要。
Zhè chǎng bǐsài duì dāngdì jīngjì hěn zhòngyào.
This match is important for the local economy.
neutral
坐经济舱更省钱。
Zuò jīngjìcāng gèng shěng qián.
Flying economy class saves more money.
spoken
很多国家都在谈经济合作。
Hěn duō guójiā dōu zài tán jīngjì hézuò.
Many countries are talking about economic cooperation.
written
Common phrases with 经济
Don't confuse 经济 with
经历 means to experience or one's experiences (工作经历, work experience). 经济 is the economy. They share 经 but are unrelated in meaning.
经营 means to operate or manage a business (经营一家餐厅). 经济 is the broader economic system, not the act of running a company.
FAQ
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