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经费 (jīng fèi) — funds; budgeted expenses

Definition

经费 is funds earmarked for a specific purpose (project, R&D, school activities), not just any cost. 费用 is any general cost or fee; 资金 is broader capital/working capital. Often used with 笔.

noun
fundsbudgeted expenses
Measure word · 笔

Examples

  • 经费。
    Zhè bǐ jīng fèi shì gōng sī zhuān mén yòng lái yán fā xīn chǎn pǐn de.
    This fund is specifically used by the company for R&D of new products.
  • 经费，。
    Yóu yú jīng fèi bù zú, xué xiào bù dé bù qǔ xiāo le jǐ gè xiàng mù.
    Due to insufficient funds, the school had to cancel several projects.
  • 经费，经费。
    Wǒ men zhèng zài shēn qǐng yì bǐ jīng fèi, yòng yú gòu mǎi xīn shè bèi de jīng fèi.
    We are applying for a fund to purchase new equipment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

经jīngregular
费fèiexpense

经 regular and 费 expense together name money for routine operations.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 費; 费 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú費fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 費 has 貝, a cowry shell, and 弗, which gives a sound; the simplified 费 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 费 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Business & CommerceFinance & Banking

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