〜を経て

through …; after going through …; after (a period of time)

〜を経て says that something reached its present state only after passing through a stage, a process, or a stretch of time. The noun before を is the thing that was passed through (a screening, ten years, many improvements), and what follows is the result. It feels like "having come through X".

Formal written Japanese: news, biographies, company histories, academic writing, and formal speeches. In casual conversation people say 〜を通って, 〜のあとで, or 〜てから instead. It is common in resumes and introductions: 〜大学を経て、現在に至る.

• N + を経て (へて)
• N + を経た + N (attributive: 長い年月を経た建物)
• Typical nouns: 審査・段階・過程・歳月・年月・改良・経験・〜大学・〜社

1. 01

   厳しい審査を経て、彼女は代表に選ばれた。

   きびしいしんさをへて、かのじょはだいひょうにえらばれた。

   After passing a rigorous screening, she was chosen as the representative.

   The screening is a stage that had to be passed before the result; を経て marks that stage.

2. 02

   十年の歳月を経て、二人は再会した。

   じゅうねんのさいげつをへて、ふたりはさいかいした。

   After ten years, the two met again.

   With time expressions (十年の歳月) it means "after the passage of".

3. 03

   この技術はさまざまな改良を経て、現在の形になった。

   このぎじゅつはさまざまなかいりょうをへて、げんざいのかたちになった。

   This technology took its present form through various improvements.

   A process with several steps (さまざまな改良) is the most typical use.

4. 04

   彼は三年間の留学を経て、通訳として働き始めた。

   かれはさんねんかんのりゅうがくをへて、つうやくとしてはたらきはじめた。

   After three years of studying abroad, he began working as an interpreter.

   Typical of biographies and self-introductions: experience → present job.

5. 05

   この法案は何度もの修正を経て、ようやく可決された。

   このほうあんはなんどものしゅうせいをへて、ようやくかけつされた。

   After repeated amendments, the bill was finally passed.

   ようやく after を経て stresses how long the process took.

• 〜を通して / 〜を通じて

  Means "by way of (a person or medium)" or "throughout (a period)". It does not imply passing through stages to reach a result. Compare side by side

• 〜によって

  Gives the means or cause ("by"). を経て only says something was passed through, not that it caused the result. Compare side by side

• 〜を皮切りに

  Marks the starting point of a series. を経て marks a middle stage that is already behind us. Compare side by side

• ✗

  厳しい審査を経て、彼女は代表に選ぶ。

  ✓

  厳しい審査を経て、彼女は代表に選ばれた。

  Why

  を経て describes a stage already passed, so the main clause is normally a completed result, usually in the past tense.

• ✗

  毎朝この道を経て会社に行く。

  ✓

  毎朝この道を通って会社に行く。

  Why

  For physically passing along a road, use を通って. を経て is for processes, stages, and periods of time, not daily routes.

• ✗

  十年を経て、彼はまだ同じ仕事をしている。

  ✓

  十年経っても、彼はまだ同じ仕事をしている。

  Why

  を経て expects a change or result after the period. If nothing changed, use 〜経っても.

The verb is 経る (へる). Do not confuse the reading with 経つ (たつ) in 時間が経つ. In résumés and profiles the fixed shape is 〜を経て、現在に至る ("…and so to the present"). Because it is 書き言葉, pair it with formal vocabulary such as 選出される, 可決される, 至る rather than casual verbs.