軌道

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 軌道 is read as きどう and is a noun for an orbital path and, figuratively, a stable course of progress.
• Basic usage: It describes a planet’s orbit or a new business finally beginning to operate on track.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Orbital path
  • 惑星の軌道 is the path of a planet, corresponding to orbit.
• 軌道に乗る
  • For a business, 軌道に乗る means getting onto a stable course; it is not a physical rail track.