経常

• Reading: けいじょう
• Romaji: keijo
• Kanji breakdown: 経 (kei) — manage, pass through; 常 (jo) — ordinary, constant, regular
• Pronunciation: /keː.dʑoː/

Meaning

Ordinary; recurring; routine. Used as a modifier to describe items or activities that occur regularly in the normal course of business, as opposed to extraordinary or one-off items.

Most commonly encountered in compound expressions: 経常利益 (ordinary profit — operating profit plus non-operating income/expenses, a key P&L line), 経常収支 (current account balance in macroeconomics), and 経常費 (recurring/operating expenses). The distinction between 経常 and 特別 (extraordinary) items is fundamental to Japanese financial statement analysis. A noun/adjectival prefix rather than a standalone adjective.

Examples

1. 経常利益は本業の損益に加え、受取利息や支払利息を含めた総合的な利益指標だ。 Ordinary profit is a comprehensive profit indicator that includes, in addition to operating profit and loss, interest received and interest paid.
2. 経常収支の黒字が続いているが、その内訳を見ると貿易収支は赤字に転じている。 The current account surplus has continued, but a closer look at its components reveals that the trade balance has turned to a deficit.
3. 経常的な費用とは、毎期繰り返し発生する通常の事業運営上のコストを指す。 Recurring expenses refer to the normal costs of business operations that arise repeatedly each accounting period.

Usage Guide

Context: financial statements, accounting, macroeconomics, corporate reporting

Tone: technical

Origin & History

Compound of 経 (to pass through, manage — as in 経営 management) and 常 (ordinary, always, constant). Together they convey the idea of what passes through a business on a regular, constant basis.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Business/Finance