经商 literally means 'to manage business' — 经 (jīng) conveys 'to manage, to administer', and 商 (shāng) means 'commerce' or 'trade'. Together, they form a formal, slightly literary verb meaning 'to engage in business' or 'to run a commercial enterprise'. It emphasizes active participation in trade, entrepreneurship, or commercial operations — not just working at a company, but owning, managing, or operating a business.

This term is commonly used in contexts involving entrepreneurship, family business legacies, cross-border trade, or career choices. It often appears in written Chinese (news, biographies, official documents) and formal speech, though it’s also understood in everyday conversation. Unlike the more general 工作 (to work), 经商 specifically implies involvement in buying, selling, profit-making activities, or running a business entity — whether small-scale or large-scale.