Japanese word

経過

Pronunciation

Romajikeika

Meaning

  • nounpassage of time

Example

時間の経過を感じます。ji kan no kei ka o kan ji ma su

I feel the passage of time.

Illustration for 経過 (passage of time)

More examples

時間の経過とともに、気持ちが落ち着きました。ji kan no kei ka to to mo ni ki mo chi ga o chi tsu ki ma shi ta

As time passed, I felt calmer.

Core concept

Covers the way time passes or a situation develops from an earlier stage to a later one.

Common phrases

  • 時間の経過ji kan no kei ka

    passage of time

Similar words

推移suii: The way a situation changes through different stages over time.
進行shinkō: The development of an event or situation as it moves forward.
進捗shinchoku: The amount of progress made on a task or plan.

Definition in Japanese

時間の推移や、物事が進んでいくこと。ji kan no sui i ya mono goto ga susu n de i ku ko to

Word origin

A Sino-Japanese compound, 経過 (keika) is formed from 経 (kei, "pass through") and 過 (ka, "pass or go beyond"), giving it the sense of passing through time or stages.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Japanese, 経過 (keika) is common in formal descriptions of elapsed time or progress, while 過ぎる (sugiru, "pass") is more common for simply saying that time has passed.

Other meanings

  • progressnoun

Related words

  • 経過するkeikasuruelapseverb

Word lists with this word