次 (cì) — (classifier) time (used to count occurrences of an event); (adjective) next; second
Definition
次 has two uses: as a classifier, it counts how many times an event happens ('three times'). As an adjective, it means 'next' or 'second' (e.g., 第二次, 下次). For counting time units like minutes or seconds, use 分 or 秒 instead.
classifier
time (used to count occurrences of an event)
adjective
nextsecond
Examples
- 次。Wǒ qù guò sān cì shàng hǎi.I have been to Shanghai three times.
- 。Xià cì wǒ men yì qǐ qù ba.Let's go together next time.
- 次。Zhè shì dì èr cì kǎo shì.This is the second exam.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA 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.
Grammar
Appears in
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