经费
jīngfèi · HSK 5
funds
💰 经 = manage + 费 = expense; managed expenses = funds/budget
经 means to manage or pass through (as in 经理 manager), and 费 means fee or expense (as in 学费 tuition). Together they name the money allocated and managed for a purpose — a budget or operating funds.
经 — silk radical 纟 + 巠 (underground stream)
Originally written 經, combining the silk radical 糸 with 巠, depicting vertical threads on a loom. The core meaning was 'warp threads,' which extended to 'pass through,' 'classic text,' and 'manage.' The phonetic 巠 also suggests the sound.
费 — 弓 bow + 弗 (phonetic 'fú/fèi')
费 is a phono-semantic compound. The bottom 贝 (cowrie shell, ancient money) gives the meaning 'cost/expense,' while 弗 on top supplies the sound. Originally it referred to spending money or wasting resources, and today it means 'fee,' 'expense,' or 'to consume.'