次序 (cì xù) — sequence, order | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

次序 means the arrangement or sequence of items or events in time or rank — a more formal, written-style term than the everyday 顺序. Use 秩序 for social/abstract 'order' (秩序井然), not 次序.

noun

sequenceorder

Examples

次序。
Qǐng àn shí jiān cì xù pái liè zhè xiē zhào piàn.
Please arrange these photos in chronological order.
次序。
Bǐ sài cì xù yóu chōu qiān jué dìng.
The competition order is decided by drawing lots.
次序，。
Tā zuò shì hěn yǒu cì xù, cóng bú luàn lái.
He does things in a very orderly way and never messes around.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

次cìrank/order

序xùsequence

“次” and “序” both denote rank or ordering, so together they mean sequence.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old form of 次 shows a person exhaling, with the marks above the figure representing breath.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

广予序

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

予

予yǔ序xù

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

序 combines 广 and 予; 予 gives the sound, while 广 marks the meaning.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Order & Arrangement

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